Charity offering $4,000 reward after fox shot four times dies

The Fox Project says they were called to a garden in Croydon, south London, last week after reports of a vixen in severe pain.

The rescue team arrived at the New Addington address to find that the animal had been hit with four air rifle pellets in her leg, spine, near her stomach, and narrowly missing her lung.

With the pellet to her spine causing irreparable paralysis, the veterinary team had no choice but to put the fox, called Ripley, down.

Nicki Townsend, 50, who has worked at the charity for over four years, said: "She had been left alive to endure unimaginable fear and agony, only able to painfully drag herself to cover.

"No animal should be treated this way.

"These sentient creatures have no choice but to share our world. Their only crime is trying to live.

"When you see something this distressing it is horrendous, especially when it was done on purpose by another human being."

Nicki says they were alerted to the injured fox by a neighbor to the garden who had seen it suffering.

Ripley was brought to the veterinary clinic and X-rayed where the pellets were discovered, leaving staff "heartbroken."

They have since put out an appeal on social media offering a $4,025 reward for anyone who can provide information which leads to a conviction for the perpetrator.

Nicki says they have received several anonymous tips which have been passed on to the National Wildlife Crime Unit and that it is now in their hands.

She is also calling for stricter laws on who can own catapults and air rifles, as they see these incidents quite often.

She said: "Catapults and air rifles are a problem here. There are animals on a frequent basis coming to us and other wildlife rescues that have been pelleted.

"There should be laws on who can own these sorts of weapons and penalties for those who use them."