I’m taking a stand for pet owners: woman seeks compensation for pedigree cat shot in the face
THE owner of a pedigree cat left blinded after being shot in the face is seeking compensation for the emotional and financial impact of the brutal attack.
In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, Maureen Newman — whose pet Leo miraculously survived the shooting last September — attended a Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel hearing in Belfast yesterday.
The panel considers the payment of compensation in cases of criminal injury under a scheme established nearly a decade ago.
Ms Newman, from Maghera, said her beloved Maine Coon cat, whose full name is Leo Aston Martin Teca Newman, had sustained multiple injuries in the incident, which had also left her traumatised.
“It had an awful impact. I’ve had to have private counselling. My nerves were wrecked,” she said.
“After it happened I took a bad downer. I was treated for shock. I attended a 12-week counselling session. I still do occasionally.
“Still to this day I’m still upset. Every day I look at him and see he’s missing an eye. Leo’s my baby.”
Just over 13 months ago Leo was shot at the rear of Ms Newman’s property. At the time her partner, Sam Connolly, was in the back yard with their dog.
“Leo was on a brick wall and wandered behind it. The next thing we heard was a merciful bang,” she recalled.
“I saw Leo and the shot to his eye. I held him but he jumped out of my arms and ran into the garage.
“He hid in the garage for six hours. In the meantime I rang the vet and police who came out the next day. The vet told me to close the garage door and wait. Eventually he came out to me.”
Leo subsequently underwent a lengthy operation to repair the damage. Despite the best efforts of the vet, however, his right eye could not be saved.
He lost part of his paw too, and his left ear was also injured. Shotgun pellet remnants had to be removed from his body.
“It was horrendous. The blood, the tears. The vet didn’t know if he’d make it or not. It was touch and go. He was in the vets for quite a few days. The vet brought in an eye specialist.
“It was a long road nursing him back to health. He had to wear a collar, and he was back to the vet every couple of days. At home he had to be nursed upstairs. It was three months be- fore he came down.”
She continued: “Leo would be a very playful cat, very attached. He’s become very nervous since it happened.”
She estimated the financial impact of the attack as having run into thousands of pounds.
“I’d say that between £3k-£4k has been spent with the vet fees, nursing fees. Even now his eye sometimes weeps.”
Ms Newman added that an enclosure which had been built for Leo was also extended following the attack.
“I can’t let him out beyond the enclosure. I’m in fear of letting him out. If I let him out it could be a death sentence for him,” she said.
“No one was ever prosecuted for what they did to Leo.
“He’s coming three in December. He’s a beaut. I’ve had him since he was 12 weeks old.
“At least he’s here to tell the story.”
She stressed the compensation case, which she said she had brought on advice from Victim Support NI, was about taking a stand in solidarity with fellow pet owners who have gone through similar experiences.
“At least I’m being heard. It’s about getting justice for Leo. No animal should be made to suffer like that. If someone can do that to an animal then they can do it to a child,” she said.
“If I let it go, it could happen again. This lets people know that they have this option as well.”
A spokesperson for Victim Support NI said that while its policy is not to comment on individual cases, it does offer a “free and confidential service to assist victims of violent crime” who wish to apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme.
“Our advice workers can advise and advocate for our clients, but it is always up to the victim how they proceed with their case,” they explained.
“If an award is granted, the victim will receive this in full as we do not charge any fees for this service.”