A heartbroken Dad has spoken out after one of his pets was shot leaving it facing a possible leg amputation.
Tom Burns’ cat, Gaston, was reportedly targeted with a pellet gun yesterday afternoon.
The 34-year-old, from Ford, Bootle, told the ECHO that Gaston is the third of his pets that has been shot.
Tom said: “We have had cats before that have been shot, but nowhere near as serious as this.
“This time it has gone into his leg and broken it.
"In the past it has gone in and stayed in the muscle , it has not been this serious.”
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Tom got the rescue 8-month-old from Animal Aid, on County Road and named him Gaston after the Disney character in Beauty and the Beast.
The incident has been especially upsetting for his daughter, who has autism, Tom said: “It’s had an impact on us all, the financial aspect is big but it’s the emotional impact too.
“My little girl is autistic and this cat is the centre of her life, if anything happens to them it's very distressing for her.”
He added: “It’s obviously someone out there targeting animals because it’s not the first time it's happened.
“It’s targeting animals and my worry is if someone is shooting cats in the street, there are children there too, so where does it go next.
“There are plenty of houses around us (near Gorsey Lane) in the area where children play out.”
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “We were contacted at 1.55pm yesterday, Sunday 11th October, following reports a cat had been injured in Gorsey Lane, Litherland.
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“It is thought the cat had been shot in the rear leg with a pellet gun.
“Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information can DM @MerPolCC quoting reference 20000615595.”
