Warning: Graphic images below
Three foxes were shot in the head ‘multiple’ times and then left to die, with an animal charity warning that animal abusers are ‘tomorrow’s serial killers’.
A passerby found the animals in a ‘horrific scene’ in Basildon, Essex, on December 15, and alerted rescuers.
Two female foxes had already died, while a third male was barely alive and had been ‘left to suffer’.
Staff at South Essex Wildlife Hospital were so disgusted that they clubbed together to make a £1,250 reward from their own pockets for information leading to a prosecution.
The hospital stated the animals were shot by an air rifle rather than a gun powerful enough to kill humanely, and were in ‘perfect health’ before they were targeted.
They were found by a woman by a ‘no dumping sign’, having been clearly dumped after being hunted down and killed.
Sue Schwar, founder and manager at the veterinary surgery and charity said: ‘The incident is pretty horrific. The mentality of someone who would shoot the foxes for fun and intentionally dump them is baffling.
‘Our issue is with the fox that was still alive and left to suffer. We know people cull foxes and there’s not much we can do to stop them, but there are restrictions to doing that.
‘The right calibre rifle and suitable ammunition must be used to kill and not just maim.
‘We’ve since had it confirmed by the wildlife crimes officer from Essex Police PC Raven and the RSPCA that it is an offence to cause a fox unnecessary suffering by leaving it injured.
‘We feel strongly about this and that’s why we’re offering a reward.’
This is the first time the charity has put up a reward for information about an incident of animal cruelty.
A vet from the hospital attended the scene at Lippit’s Hill.
They found the male fox had been shot in the shoulder and back as well as the head, but couldn’t be saved due to his spinal damage and had to be humanely put down.
In a social media post, the hospital stated: ‘The perpetrator was clearly an amateur or shooting for fun. ‘Penetrator’ pellets were used and the gun was not powerful enough to kill humanely.
‘You also require land owner permission to hunt and although we do not know where the foxes were killed, it is an animal welfare offence to leave an animal to suffer and to abandon an animal in circumstances likely to cause suffering.
‘Please contact us if you have any information or CCTV covering this area. Animal abusers walk among us, they are tomorrow’s serial killers taking the lives of our wildlife for fun and often injuring pets.’
Sue reported the incident to Essex police and the RSPCA who will lead an investigation if information is brought forward regarding the incident.
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