An animal charity has slammed the 'cruel' airgun shootings of pigeons in Darlington.
A resident in Tees Drive, Darlington, contacted the RSPCA on 13 June after finding one of the birds in her garden which was bleeding from the chest and struggling to walk.
An x-ray subsequently revealed the pigeon had been cruelly shot through the neck with an airgun and the pellet had become lodged in the animal’s chest.
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Sadly the prognosis was so poor that a vet had to put the bird to sleep to prevent further suffering.
The charity has been told that other pigeons have also reportedly been found dead this month in the same street.
RSPCA inspector Krissy Raine, who is appealing for information, said: “The person who contacted us said she heard a shot and then discovered the injured bird in her garden. Other pigeons have also reportedly been found dead at nearby properties.
“These weapons cause awful suffering to animals and it’s appalling that people take pleasure in using birds as target practice. It’s also worrying that someone appears to be indiscriminately taking pot shots in a residential area where there are likely to be children and family pets.
“Sadly, the targeting of wild and domestic animals in this way isn’t uncommon. We see incidents throughout the year involving cats, geese, swans and gulls which have been horribly maimed or killed outright in airgun attacks.
“The cases we hear about are only likely to show part of the problem as not all of them will be reported directly to us, and there may be situations where animals injured and killed by airguns are sadly never found - especially in the case of wildlife.”
The RSPCA tends to see a rise in the number of attacks during the summer months when the days are longer and people are spending more time outside.
The charity is continuing to call for stricter regulations around owning an airgun in both England and Wales.
Better education, basic safety training for owners and a thorough explanation of the law - including our legal obligations towards animals - could help protect animals from such attacks in the future.
Anyone with first-hand information about the incidents in Darlington is urged to contact the RSPCA appeals line on 0300 123 8018.
