DISBELIEVING pet owners in Belton and Burgh Castle have been left in shock after two of their beloved animals were shot with an airguns.Donkey Hanny was lucky to survive after suffering a hole in her head deep enough to fit a little finger during her shooting at the start of September.

DISBELIEVING pet owners in Belton and Burgh Castle have been left in shock after two of their beloved animals were shot with an airguns.

Donkey Hanny was lucky to survive after suffering a hole in her head deep enough to fit a little finger during her shooting at the start of September. Then Leopard Bengal cat Nisha almost lost her rear left leg after being shot sometime between Tuesday, last week, and Saturday.

Farmer Billy Steward, who runs Willow Farm in Belton, had only bought Hanny from Romania three weeks before the incident to pull carts around the farm. He said prior to the shooting the donkey had been very lively, running around and making lots of noise but had suddenly become subdued.

When he checked the animal over he discovered a spot on her forehead above the right eye and called a vet out to examine it. The vet confirmed Hanny had been shot with an airgun.

The pellet is still in her head.

He believed the attack happened while the donkey was grazing in an area accessible to the public called River Way which runs down the side of one of the fields.

“I don't know how anybody could do such a thing. Everybody who heard about it has phoned me up to say how angry they are,” Mr Steward said.

Nicky Jackson, 32, of Back Lane, Burgh Castle did not initially realise eight-year-old Nisha had been shot when she found her in her back garden on Saturday after a spell missing from home.

Although the cat was unable to put weight on the leg, there was no obvious wound.

However, when she took the pet to Haven Vets in Great Yarmouth, X-rays established the horrifying cause of the problem.

The leg was broken and the vets operated to remove the pellet on Monday before inserting pins and trying to rebuild the limb.

Mrs Jackson said: “They found an airgun pellet lodged in the leg. Basically, the leg was completely shattered and they had to put pins in and rebuild the leg. She is very lucky not to have it amputated.”

She added: “To shoot a cat is completely uncalled for. I just can't believe anyone would do such a thing.”

She believed Nisha had been shot somewhere in the Back Lane area.

Mrs Jackson, who lives with husband Luke, 42, has two other cats - black moggy Madge, 12 and Siamese Lillie, seven.

There was no police available for comment.