Plea after NI vet cuts traumatised cat from snare
A cat found caught in a snare in a Newry park last Saturday could lose its eye, vets have said.
The animal, found hanging on its back legs from a fence with the snare about its abdomen, was taken to a vet who used bolt cutters to remove the wire snare.
The USPCA, which hopes to reunite the cat with its owner, urged anyone who may have seen anything in the Barcroft Park area on August 20 to get in contact with their team or the PSNI.
Brendan Mullan, USPCA chief executive, said: “This is a very distressing case for a member of the public to come across, and not one that we have seen often here at the USPCA.
“We don’t know how long the cat was caught in that horrible position, but the level of stress and suffering is unimaginable.
“Our team did a great job in providing treatment and comfort to the cat and have been monitoring its condition throughout the week.
“We’re very grateful to the members of the public who rescued him from such a terrible situation – thankfully he’s now safe and making a strong recovery.
“We believe that this cat does have an owner as, despite his ordeal, he is very friendly – we hope that through the help of the public we can reunite him with his owners.”
Free running snares are legal in Northern Ireland and are primarily used for wildlife management, targeting the likes of rabbits and foxes.
Brendan added: “This is a very unusual place for a snare to be set and it is unknown to us if the cat was caught elsewhere and had tried to jump the fence however it is undeniable that the use of any snare like this is inhumane and causes suffering.
“The USPCA recognises the necessity of capturing animals on a limited scale for a variety of reasons, however the only acceptable means of doing so is through the use of live traps, and only when the trap is capable of restraining an animal without causing pain or injury and is visited at least every 12 hours.
“If anyone has any information in relation to this incident, we urge them to report this to the PSNI or to speak to a member of our team on 028 3025 1000.”
