A COWARDLY animal killer who shot a cat with a high-powered bow and arrow and left it to die in Mernda is being hunted by authorities.
The cat would have been facing the offender because it was shot through the front left ribcage with the high-tech arrow exiting through the right side of its back.
“This is an horrific act,” senior RSPCA inspector Simon Primrose said.
“It was obviously a deliberate act. If it is a thrill kill, it is concerning that it could happen again.”
The tabby and white female was seen alive and uninjured near the Shell service station in Plenty Road, Mernda on Sunday, September 23.
The following day it was spotted running with the arrow embedded in it, but it was not reported until after its body was discovered on Tuesday in the car park at the Mernda Mechanic Institute hall, near Bridge Inn Road.
The RSPCA was notified last Wednesday and recovered the body.
“This is considered a high-end cruelty case where the animal was likely to have endured hours of suffering before it died,” Mr Primrose said.
“It appears to have been shot at close range as the cat was facing or walking towards the offender.
“Someone is out there using a high powered weapon in a public area – they could have shot a child.”
He appealed for witnesses to hunt down the animal killer who, if successfully prosecuted, could face up to two years’ jail or a maximum $69,000 fine.
The cat was not microchipped or desexed but did not have fight wounds typical of feral cats, he said.
■ People with information should contact the RSPCA on 9224 2222.
