Cat to have leg amputated after being shot

NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A stray cat in Barnstead is recovering after being shot twice, and police are trying to figure out who's responsible.

Chari and Nathan Gauntt said they have been caring for the cat, who they call Garf, for a year and a half. They took the cat to a veterinarian in Epsom last week, and that's when they learned how seriously it was injured.

The Gauntts said the cat's injuries are so severe that it will need to have its front leg amputated.

How to help: Garf GoFundMe page

"Your body just goes cold with shock to know that there are people out there that do this," Chari Gauntt said.

"He has come around mostly at night," Nathan Gauntt said. "We feed him at night, give him water."
The Gauntts said two weeks ago, they noticed a change.

"He kind of came around the corner, and he was limping, and we noticed something wasn't good," Chari Gauntt said. "He's clearly injured."

After a trip to the vet they found out the cat had been hurt by someone.

"At first they thought that it was potentially a BB gun of some sort, but they are leaning towards a bullet," Chari Gauntt said.

X-rays show the damage left behind from the gunshot wound.

"When the bullet hit the bone of the cat, it shattered the bullet, so there is metal shrapnel throughout the entire cat and the front leg," Chari Gauntt said. "That is why the leg needs to be amputated at this point. The healing process isn't going to take place on its own."

To make matters worse, she said shrapnel was discovered inside the cat's back leg, where it appears it was shot several months ago.

Barnstead police are investigating and said the person responsible could face animal abuse charges.
"He's such an affectionate cat, and to have something like this happen is devastating," Chari Gauntt said.

Animal Allies Humane Society is covering some of the medical expenses, but the amputation will cost more than $700. The couple have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money.

"We are just animal lovers trying to get this poor guy back on his feet, whether there is three or four," Chari Gauntt said. "We just are trying to get him to feel better."

Anyone who knows anything about the incident is asked to call Barnstead police.

(WCVB Boston - Jul 30, 2015)