Owner of Ripon celebrity cat Badger overwhelmed by support

The owner of Ripon celebrity cat Badger has said she has been overwhelmed by support from people after shocking cruelty towards her pet.

Badger was regularly seen in Ripon and even has a Facebook page with 1,000 followers dedicated to him and his brother Bodger.

But Badger has rarely ventured out since the incident in which he is believed to have been kicked and hung by his collar by children.

The attack has sparked a huge response, with numerous posts on social media and local people putting up £2,000 for information leading to the conviction of whoever was responsible.

Naomi Walker, who owns Badger and Bodger, said she has been amazed by the response but at the same time doesn’t want to encourage vigilantes, particularly towards children. She told the Stray Ferret:

“If anything comes out of this, I would like it to be for people to talk to their kids about animal cruelty. You don’t have to like cats to not hurt them.

“But I can’t thank everyone enough for all they’ve done. I’m overwhelmed and grateful for all the support.”

Ms Walker said she didn’t go public about the incident for several weeks because she didn’t want to generate too much fuss, particularly because Badger is now nearly 12, but she felt people deserved to know what had happened. She said:

“It’s endearing that people care so much about him. He does have a large fan base and has become a local celebrity.”

Badger was seen regularly around Sainsbury’s and the cathedral until Ms Walker moved elsewhere in the city. The gregarious moggy then started frequenting Lead Lane, and took a particular fondness to a local fish and chip shop.

Bodger has always been less adventurous and rarely strays far from home.

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Ripon man tried to save kittens thrown from moving car

A Ripon man who tried to save kittens thrown from a moving car has spoken of the moment one of them died in his hands.

The council worker, who does not want to be named, was driving a recycling van at 2pm between Water Skellgate and Bondgate Green last Thursday.

He saw something in the road and then later saw, a couple of cars in front, a person on the driver’s side of a brown or gold car throw a kitten in the air.

Susan Lund, the man’s wife, recalled the moment to the Stray Ferret:

“He stopped the van and picked up the little kitten. It was still breathing but it soon died in his hands.

“The kitten’s face was all smashed in from the impact. My husband was very upset by all of this.

“I think it is beyong shocking and absolutely abhorrent. They were just tiny babies. The person who did this was evil.”

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The couple believe that they were just six to eight weeks old and were tabby type kittens.

Animal rights group PETA has heard about the incident and offered a £2,000 reward to find those responsible.

Elisa Allen, PETA director, said:

“A person capable of deliberately causing a helpless animal this kind of suffering demonstrates a deeply worrying psychological state and must be found.

“Someone in the area must have seen something or know something about the cruel individual(s) who committed this callous act.”

Anyone who saw the incident have been urged to call the police on 101 and quote reference number 12200204632.

Saint Michael’s offers big money lottery Superdraw

The Saint Michael’s community lottery is to double its jackpot as a way of thanking players for helping it raise £200,000 a year.

Established in 2000, money raised by the lottery helps the Harrogate hospice provide care and support to families affected by terminal illness and bereavement. 

To mark the lottery’s 20th year, Saint Michael’s has launched a Big Thank You Superdraw with a prize of £2,020. Its usual weekly jackpot is £1,000.

The superdraw will be held on November 4. Current lottery members will be automatically entered but newcomers are welcome to join.

Tina Hedges, deputy chief executive of Saint Michael’s said: 

“Regular and dependable income, such as the lottery, has never been more important, and in recent times has given us the ability to innovate and adapt to help our community throughout the pandemic.

“It is therefore apt that we offer our Big Thank You Superdraw during a year when we couldn’t be more grateful for the ongoing support of our community.”

Visit the charity’s website or call 01423 878628 to take part in the lottery.

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