Who shot Benny the cat? That's the question that a Charlestown family wants the community to help them answer.
The seven-month-old was shot in the head with what is suspected to be a .22 or an air rifle in the Lake Macquarie suburb on the morning of June 27, leaving the feline with horrendous injuries that ultimately claimed his life within days.
Germeen Kaldas told the Newcastle Herald she had let Benny and litter-mate Binx out for a short time, which she sometimes did - usually supervised - when soon Benny returned home with a gaping wound on his neck.
Thinking the cat had been in a fight with a dog, Ms Kaldas took Benny to the vet clinic where he was intubated before he was taken to a small animal specialist hospital on the Central Coast.
Ms Kaldas said a CT scan showed that Benny "had shrapnel all through his head" and severe injuries to his mouth and neck, with the vet believing it was the result of a gunshot.
Benny was euthanised a week after he suffered the horrific injuries.
The apparent shooting has been reported to Lake Macquarie police.
Ms Kaldas said a GPS tag had been on Benny's collar and had been missing until recent days, showing the incident likely occurred in the vicinity of Hallam Street, Aintree Close or Alexander Avenue in Charlestown.
"The animal cruelty aspect of it is one thing, but the fact that somebody in a suburban area is discharging a firearm on a Sunday morning with kids riding their bikes around the streets - I think that's disgraceful," she said.
Ms Kaldas is calling for anyone with information about what happened to Benny to either direct message the Benny Bengal Facebook page, call Belmont Police Station, email help4benny@gmail.com or phone 0402 609 020.
