POLICE in Co Down are investigating after a cat was set on fire in Hillsborough yesterday afternoon.
A Hillsborough resident returned home to find that the family cat Tiger had suffered serious injuries after being set alight.
Tiger is an 18-month-old long haired Tabby and has been treated at a veterinary clinic for the burns.
Chief Inspector Derek McCamley described the incident as "utterly disgusting" and said that "all officers and staff at Lisburn and Castlereagh PSNI hope the little cat makes a full recovery.”
Inspector McCamley asked for witnesses to contact police if they were in the Kernaghan Park area before 5pm on Wednesday March 9.
“We are a nation of animal lovers. We lavish love and affection on our pets like they are members of our family. This incident is shocking and it will upset pet owners far and wide," he said.
"While we have no information to suggest that this is anything more than an isolated incident, I would ask all pet owners to make sure their animals are safe and secure. We don’t want another animal lover to feel the distress that Tiger’s owners are feeling at this time.”
