Hedgehog dies after being spray-painted blue to look like Sonic

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 08:15 · Archive

A hedgehog was spray-painted blue and died from chemical burns and infection the next day.

A hedgehog spray-painted blue in an apparent attempt to resemble the cartoon character Sonic has died after suffering severe chemical burns. The adult male was found by a farmer in a field directly behind Wakefield Police Station, West Yorkshire.

The hedgehog was brought to Castleford Hedgehog Rescue at approximately 4pm on 27 October. Paint had been applied so heavily to the animal's back that chemicals severely burned through several layers of skin and caused its spines to melt away. Despite receiving maximum pain relief, the hedgehog died the following morning.

Beth Campsill, 29, who operates the rescue centre, witnessed the animal's final hours. 'When the hedgehog was brought to us he was screaming in pain,' she said. 'I gave the poor thing the maximum pain relief I could, but he didn't stop, he effectively screamed himself to death.' Campsill described it as the most severe case of spray paint-related cruelty she has encountered during her 16 years working with animals.

According to Campsill, the hedgehog's death resulted from an infection triggered by the chemical burns, alongside potential poisoning from the toxic substances within the paint. She expressed her shock at the treatment the animal had received, saying she had not witnessed anything as severe in a long time.

How it is being reported

• 'He was screaming in pain': Hedgehog dies after being painted blue 'to look like Sonic'‘I don't know how anyone could be so cruel to an animal’Yorkshire Evening Post · 1 Nov, 07:59
• Hedgehog dies after being spray-painted by yobs 'to look like Sonic'Yobs who spray-painted the back of a hedgehog blue to make it look like "Sonic" have been slammed by a rescue centre after it died in pain.Yorkshire Post · 30 Oct, 15:15
• Hedgehog dies 'screaming in pain' as spines 'melt' after being spray-painted to look like SonicThe adult male was found by a farmer near Wakefield Police Station, West Yorkshire.Huddersfield Examiner · 30 Oct, 11:48

In this story: Wakefield · West Yorkshire · Castleford Hedgehog Rescue · Beth Campsill

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