A hedgehog tragically died after being maliciously coated in the representative colors of Leeds United Football Club—blue and yellow—by hooligans.
According to the UK’s The Sun, the female hedgehog named “Honey” endured “unnecessary pain” before her sad demise.
In Leeds, West Yorkshire, some football hooligans covered her entire body with thick blue and yellow oil-based paint. The poor little animal was found in someone’s garden on July 13 and was subsequently taken in by rescuers.
Because the paint “glued” the hedgehog’s spines together, she was unable to curl up into a ball to protect herself.
At the same time, fumes emitted by the paint made it difficult for her to breathe.
Volunteers at Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue painstakingly removed the paint from each of her spines and provided her with pain relief treatment.
Regrettably, the center's 51-year-old director, Diane Cook, revealed that the hedgehog eventually still passed away.
“Saying I am heartbroken doesn’t even begin to express my feelings—I simply can’t believe, nor can I understand, how someone could do such a thing to any living being.”
Diane said that the organization is currently cooperating with local police on the case and therefore cannot disclose too many details.
The West Yorkshire Police Wildlife and Rural Crime Investigation Unit has launched an investigation to catch those responsible.
Over the weekend, four men aged 44, 21, 17, and 15 were arrested on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.