Stray cat, dog found peppered with shotgun pellets

A dog and a cat are recovering after having been shot and peppered with shotgun pellets, Happy Paws Clinic has reported. The clinic said the cat was found in Marsascala. It was in a very bad state, lethargic and in pain. The male cat, named Disco by its rescuer, was rushed into the Happy Paws where it was immediately x-rayed and 150 pellets were found throughout the body. "Disco is now recovering slowly, running and jumping around and he has been adopted by his rescuer and the outlook for survival is fairly positive," Happy Paws said. It warned, however, that apart from the obvious pain, lead toxicity can cause anemia (low red blood cell count), gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhoea), nervous system problems (seizures) and death. Lead also crosses the placenta from pregnant mother to babies and is also excreted in her milk. Thus, the developing foetus and nursing young can be affected. The injured dog was discovered at 6am on Thursday in Hal Farrug. Named Moira by the Happy Paws Clinic, she was taken in with blood dripping from her eye and grazes across her face. Over 50 lead pellets were found in her face and neck. The vets at Happy Paws removed the...