A REWARD of up to £3,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest after a cat has been shot in North Yorkshire.

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is offering the reward  for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for shooting a cat with a shotgun in Cropton near Pickering.

As The Press reported earlier this week, the cat managed to return home after being blasted by a shotgun, police said.

They said a vet said the assailant appeared to have used a shotgun cartridge, as various pellets were found in the cat’s body. The cat required urgent veterinary care and is now recovering at home.

PETA Vice President Elisa Allen siad: “It’s imperative that any community faced with cruel and callous acts such as these take measures to find the culprit and bring them to justice.

“Animal abusers are a danger to everyone: they take their issues out on whomever is available to them – humans or other animals – and must be caught before they act again.

"History shows that past incidents involving cruelty to animals regularly appear in the records of serial rapists and murderers."

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after the incident which happened overnight between Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18 and when the injured cat returned home.

A police spokesperson said: "A vet later confirmed that the cat appeared to have been shot by a shotgun cartridge as it had numerous pellets within its body.

"The cat survived and is recovering while being cared for by its owners.

"We’re appealing for information about the incident."

Please email louise.neville-beck@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Louise Neville-Beck, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Please quote reference 12240153064 when passing on information.