Three cats killed in series of burglaries
Three cats have been killed by a dog during a series of break-ins at stables and outbuildings in Aldridge – while two were shot with air rifles elsewhere in the Black Country.
Police in Walsall say the trio of burglaries in Hobs Hole Lane and Back Lane, Aldridge, are linked and have called the killings "unacceptable".
In separate incident, two cats were shot with air rifles in Bilston and Willenhall. One had to be put down as a result.
Police say the cats in Aldridge were "savagely set upon by a dog". Officers say four men were seen in the area at the time walking a white lurcher dog. Tools, generators and horse equipment were also stolen from the buildings.
The first break-in happened on March 9 when three caravans and two stables were targeted in Hobs Hole Lane.
Three horse coats, three horse bridles and a wooden cart wheel were stolen and a cat was found dead in one of the caravans.
The second burglary happened on March 21, this time an insecure caravan was broken into and trashed and another cat was killed.
Then on March 26 in Back Lane another caravan and a wooden hut were broken into and a wheelbarrow, two rolls of barbed wire and other tools were taken. Again a cat was killed inside the caravan.
PCSO Ian Palmer, from the Aldridge Neighbourhood Team, said: "We believe all of these burglaries are connected and want to hear from anyone who has seen four men walking a white lurcher in the area. During each break-in it appears the cats have been savagely set upon by a dog.
"The animals are wild cats that have been tamed and are looked after by the caravan owners. These offences are completely unacceptable and someone out there must know who is responsible."
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a cat was shot in the spine in Bilston and a kitten in Willenhall survived its second shooting in six months – this time to its throat.
Owners of nine-year-old male cat Clyde found their pet lying paralysed in their garden in Broadmeadow Green, Bilston, on March 4.
They rushed him to the vets and initially thought he had been hit by a car, but scans showed he had been shot three times with an air gun and the pellet had struck his spine. He was put to sleep.
The RSPCA was also alerted to another cat shooting just a few miles away in Willenhall.
This time a female kitten had been shot in the throat but remarkably survived. She was found on March 11 by her owners and was rushed to an emergency vet for treatment.
