$1500 bounty for Santa shooters

RECOVERY: Santa the cat with owner Angela Speers and her son, Phillip, 3. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A bounty of $1500 has been put on the head of whoever shot Santa the cat.

The 4-year-old tomcat was shot three times in the head on Sunday, returning home wounded and bleeding to his Cameron Cres owner Angela Speers while her family was celebrating the third birthday of her son, Phillip.

The solo mother sought veterinary treatment from Dr Heidi Ward-McGrath for the pure white cat, which she had adopted a fortnight earlier from SPCA Wairarapa, despite the prospect of hefty bills she would struggle to pay.

Dr Ward-Grath, of VetCare Veterinary Hospital, started a Santa Fund to help pay for the treatment and after the Wairarapa Times-Age broke the story, donations topped $2000 in a day, enough to pay for the surgeries Santa needed.

Anna Cardno, VetCare office manager, said any excess funds would be used to establish the VetCare Angel Fund "with the specific aim of funding treatment for victims of animal abuse".

Ms Cardno said a Masterton businessman, who refused to be named, had contacted the veterinary clinic on Thursday and offered a $500 reward for information leading to a conviction for the shooting of Santa, and yesterday the nationwide animal welfare group Paw Justice boosted the bounty by another $1000.

Santa was yesterday recovering well from surgeries to remove two of the pellets and to debride his injured eye.

Another slug had penetrated his eye socket and his full sight was still in jeopardy, Ms Cardno said.

"The police are working hard to find the people responsible for Santa's shooting and we hope they can do so soon. We have seen far too many animal abuse cases in this clinic and hope that the public awareness around Santa's case may change things. It has to stop."

To donate to the Santa Fund or to the VetCare Angel Fund call the VetCare Veterinary Hospital at 06 377 7955.

To share information about the shooting call SPCA Wairarapa on 06 377 1912 or the Masterton Police at 06 3700378.