Gay couple’s cat cruelly dumped in wheelie bin in suspected homophobic attack
The gay couple’s cat was left starving and shaken after spending four days in a wheelie bin. (Envato)
A gay couple’s cat was dumped in a wheelie bin in what they suspect was a homophobic attack after experiencing harassment in their local area.
Ben Alcock, 34, cares for his 85-year-old husband full-time as he suffers from Alzheimer’s. They live together in Downham, London.
Alcock told News Shopper that the couple have two cats, Lilo and Stitch, who usually only wander away from the house for a few hours at a time.
But last week, 9-year-old Stitch did not return for four days. Eventually, after hearing muffled cries, Alcock discovered the cat inside a wheelie bin outside their house.
“Someone deliberately put him in the bin, there’s no way he could have got in there otherwise,” he said.
“He must have been starving when he got out, but he was still too scared to come indoors initially. He’s still quite nervy, but hopefully that will improve over time.”
Couple believe cat was put in bin as part of a homophobic attack.
Alcock added that he believed what happened to Stitch was a homophobic attack, as the couple have suffered anti-gay harassment in their local area before.
“Over the years we’ve had local teenagers causing trouble for us, giving us homophobic abuse,” he said.
“I’ve had windows smashed and the front door egged, just to mention a couple of incidents. The police have been involved over seven years, but I can’t prove where the culprits live.
“It’s sad, we’re still targeted for something that in wide society is seen as normal. I can’t prove who it was, but it’s the only explanation I can think of.”
But their troubles were not over, as a few days later Stitch returned home covered in white powder. Alcock fears that the cat will continue to be targeted because they are gay.
He added: “It’s made me feel very angry. I love animals and there’s no need for people to be cruel to them… I am actually thinking, do I need to re-home them? Do I need to find a place where they won’t be abused?”
Police were unable to confirm specific details to PinkNews.
