05/08/2023

SAITAMA – A man was arrested by Kumagaya Police from Saitama prefecture for shooting a cat using an arrow. The suspect had been playing on the riverbed about once a month, and that he had been warned by the police around last summer not to shoot animals.

Man arrested for shooting arrow into cat says he did it just for fun (Nihon Terebi)

The suspect, 64-year-old Tomio Taguchi, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Law, saying he was just having fun.

According to the police, Taguchi is suspected of injuring a cat by hitting it with a blowgun on a riverbed in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, in April.

The cat, was found and was protected and taken to a veterinary hospital.

Subsequently, surgery was performed and the arrow was safely removed. The iron tip of the arrow had stuck about 1 cm into the animal.

Taguchi, who is believed to have injured the cat with a homemade blowgun, told investigators that he used to blowgun the cat at a riverside about once a month.

In fact, the suspect Taguchi was warned by the police last summer when he was playing blowgun with cardboard targets on a riverbed near the site. Based on this information, the police interviewed him this time and he admitted his involvement.

The cat’s injuries were not life-threatening. It is currently being protected at a hospital and is expected to take about 5 days to heal from its injuries.

News Source: Japan Today