A mother and her three young kids are devastated after their pet chihuahua was shot dead in a Canonbury garden yesterday afternoon.
Lola, a five-year-old dog, was shot in the head with a pellet gun while playing in a garden near St Paul’s Road.
Suzanna Day and her three children – aged 11, nine and two – had just returned from holiday and were inside unpacking when the attack happened.
She said: “I came downstairs and found her in a big pool of blood with a deep head wound; the kids were screaming and crying.
“My children could have walked through that door and been hit. I’m so scared because they are out there with an airgun and if you can do this to a dog who knows who could get shot next.”
At first Suzanna thought a fox might have snuck into her garden, which backs onto a park, but when she rushed Lola to the vet’s an x-ray revealed pellet was lodged in her skull. She added: “It was not a quick death and she suffered.”
Suzanna also paid tribute to her “playful” companion and said the dog was outgoing and always wanted a cuddle.
The lethal attack has been reported to the police and the RSPCA and animal welfare officer (AWO), Siobhan Trinnaman, is now investigating.
“This is heartbreaking for Lola and her family,” said Siobhan. “Little Lola was just sniffing and playing in her garden where she should have been safe.
“For someone to have shot her in the head is absolutely despicable.”
She added: “Animals can suffer horrendous injuries and often die as a result of airgun attacks and these weapons are potentially extremely dangerous for people as well.”
Earlier this year the RSPCA, Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity, called for mandatory licensing of airguns in England and Wales.
In 2017 the RSPCA received 661 calls about people targeting animals with air weapons and 37 of these case were in Greater London.
People that deliberately target animals with an airgun could face up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine under the Animal Welfare Act.
Anyone with information about what happened should contact police on 101 or the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
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