Chipping Campden family offer £500 reward after beloved pet cat Bumble shot and seriously injured by air rifle

A CHIPPING Campden family have offered a £500 reward to help find the culprit who shot their beloved cat.

Bumble, an elegant grey male, was seriously injured after being shot with an air rifle on 18th July somewhere near the back garden of the Fiell family’s High Street home.

Somehow Bumble managed to crawl back home, and he was rushed to Abbey Green Vets.

Daughter Eme, speaking on behalf of the family, said: “He has had surgery to remove the bullet/pellet from his lung but the wound goes the whole way through him. The vets are amazed he has survived so far as it was incredibly close to his heart and major arteries.”

The good news is that after a six-day stay at the vets, Bumble was discharged on Tuesday and continues to recover at home.

However the Fiells are determined that no other pet should fall prey to a similar attack.

Eme continued: “Given Bumble’s range is exclusively the back gardens of the High Street and Back Ends, it would appear that one of our neighbours committed this inhumane and prosecutable criminal offence.

“Our family is devastated at this frankly appalling act.”

The incident has been reported to the police and the RSPCA who are investigating. But the family decided to offer the £500 reward to encourage anyone who might know something to come forward.

On the morning that Bumble was shot (18th July), there were reports of gunshots being heard, and presumed to be coming from the fields behind the High Street at 5am.

“It is terrifying to think someone in our community who was happy to shoot pets was potentially carrying around and firing an air rifle for a number of hours in the early morning,” said Eme.

Putting out an appeal on the Chipping Campden Noticeboard Facebook page, Eme explained: “We are particularly interested if you heard or saw someone carrying an air rifle anywhere in the town between 4am and 8am on the Thursday. Please reach out and we will pass this information along to the police investigation.”

She added: “We are still in complete shock at this abhorrent attack but would like to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who interacted with our last post, it's been really heartening to see such an outpouring of care from our community for our beautiful boy.”