AN ANIMAL rights charity is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of a person who spiked apples with steel screws and left them in a village near Truro.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the apples were found on land in Probus where animals roam and dogs are regularly exercised.It claimed the fruit had been left deliberately for animals to find. It said the fruit was discovered by a local resident walking her dog just opposite a new housing development in Fairfields. "It is imperative that any community faced with such abuse of animals take measures to find the culprit or culprits," said PETA spokesperson Ben Williamson.
Speaking on Pirate FM, Laura Townsend, who found the apples while walking her dog, said: "I could feel her pulling more and more towards the hedge and I just managed to grab her to pull her away in time. I was just horrified that someone could do something like that. If she had been off lead she would have been injured. It wasn't just the danger of her eating the screws - it could have been a child or another animal."
Maria Mulkeen who runs the village animal shelter said she was concerned by the find saying the fruit could have caused serious damage if swallowed by any unsuspecting animal.
Shelter volunteer, Keeley Allen said: "We're worried in case the apples were put down for our goats rather than dogs. We take our goats out in the village for a walk and there are many horses being ridden and walked through the village. We think it was done deliberately."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.