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Petition to prosecute Kurt Zouma for kicking pet cat reaches 150,000 signatures
Footage showed Zouma kicking and slapping one of his pet cats
Nearly 150,000 people have signed a petition calling for West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma to be prosecuted for kicking and attacking his pet cat.
Earlier this week, disturbing footage obtained by The Sun showed the French national drop-kicking his cat, before slapping it in the face and throwing shoes at it as it tried to escape.
The defender hastily apologised for his behaviour, saying the footage was an ‘isolated incident’ and insisting that his two pet cats were ‘cherished’ by him and his family.
Zouma’s statement read: “I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret.
“I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy.
“They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”
Yesterday, the Met Police confirmed it was not investigating the incident as a criminal offence, though the RSPCA can still pursue charges under their private prosecution powers.
Read More: RSPCA appeal after terrified dog ‘violently’ yanked off the floor by its lead three times
Despite the Met’s stance on the matter, however, a petition calling for his prosecution and for his animals to be removed from his care has now surpassed 100,000 signatures, meaning the topic will be debated in parliament.
The Change.org petition, which has 146,474 signatures at the time of writing, reads: “Shocking video footage shared on social media shows French international and West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma drop kicking and slapping his pet Bengal cat in the presence of both his brother and a young child (the example set?).
“In the UK we have laws against the abuse of animals, laws which should be applicable to everyone rich or poor, famous or not! We ask that the Metropolitan Police and RSPCA carry out an urgent investigation and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous act.
“Further we ask that the RSPCA remove all animals from Zouma’s ‘care’ immediately!”
The RSPCA has since issued a statement, which reads: “This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.
“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.”
You can sign the petition here.