Hoglet put down after ‘kicked around like football’ by children

A baby hedgehog had to be put to sleep after being ‘kicked around like a football’ by a group of children.

A DPD driver found the animal being attacked by a group of children in Maidstone, Kent, and quickly intervened.

After putting a stop to the cruelty, he took the hoglet to a Vets for Pets branch, where it was collected by a volunteer and taken to Thorne Hedgehog Rescue.

The hedgehog, believed to be between just six and eight weeks old, was found to have sustained multiple blunt force trauma injuries .

It was moved to the intensive care unit and given fluids for shock as well as pain relief.

After further assessment under sedation by a vet, it was found that the animal’s upper palate had been broken and his liver lacerated from the impact of the attack.

To relieve its suffering, the hoglet was put to sleep.

Lisa Steward, owner of Thorne Hedgehog Rescue, said the animal had been ‘kicked like a football’.

‘Any hedgehog out in the day is sick or injured,’ she said. ‘He would be struggling in this heat with dehydration, limited access to water, and he’s very young as well, so they come out because they need help.

‘Any kid seeing that, you would think they would tell their mum, who would organize for it to go to a vet or rescue, but that didn’t happen.

‘He was deteriorating and losing weight. Nothing we seemed to do helped.’

Lisa says the incident is the fourth time in the past year a hoglet has been used as a football.

‘You would think that anyone who saw an animal in pain would not want to worsen and inflict further pain and suffering,’ she said.

‘We’re getting 15 to 20 hedgehogs in a day at the moment, and the last thing we need is deliberate cruelty cases. Unfortunately, it’s something we’re seeing more and more commonly,’ she added.

Lisa says putting a shallow dish of water out each day can be a ‘lifesaver’ for hedgehogs during the heatwave.

Currently, the rescue center has 100 hedgehogs in its care, of which over 60 are orphaned hoglets.

The service, which is based in Smarden Road, is entirely volunteer-run and has no paid staff.

To help support its medication, food, and cleaning supply costs, a JustGiving page has been set up.

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