MORE than 600 people have signed a petition to make it mandatory for drivers to stop if they hit a cat, following the death of a county woman’s beloved pet in Port Seton.

Lynn Harrison, of Poplar Park, Port Seton, was devastated when her 17-month-old cat Jasper was struck and killed by a taxi on nearby Alder Road on Sunday, August 1.

Lynn, an executive assistant, claimed that the driver of the taxi did not stop after hitting Jasper.

She believes it should be a legal requirement for a person to stop if they hit a cat on Scottish roads.

Currently, there is no law that requires a driver to stop after hitting a cat on the road.

Lynn said: “I got Jasper at the start of lockdown and he had basically been by my side daily, as I have worked from home for a lot of the past year and a half.

“I am heartbroken.

“Since his passing I have spoken to many people who have experienced a similar fate.

“It is a legal requirement [to stop] if you hit a dog and it should be the same for cats. Cats, just like dogs, are well-loved pets and members of our family.

“To stop and check on the cat, you might just save its life or at least allow the owner to know what has happened and give their beloved pet a proper farewell.

“Accidents happen and the driver doesn’t even need to care for cats but should care about the devastation that is left behind for the family of the cat.

“It should no longer be an option to stop, it should be mandatory.”

Lynn said her faith in human nature had been restored in recent days after the passenger who was in the taxi at the time, who had been on holiday at Seton Sands Holiday Village, tracked her down and shared details of the incident and contact information for the taxi company.

Lynn then contacted the taxi company and spoke with the owner.

She said the taxi company’s owner was “extremely sympathetic and an animal lover” and even offered to buy her another cat – Lynn said it was “a lovely offer but there is no replacement for Jasper”.

Another member of the community contacted Lynn to share that she had seen the incident occur and stayed with Jasper until he passed away.

Lynn added: “Thank you all for caring about what happened to my boy, Jasper – thank you for making the effort to give me some comfort.

“To the taxi driver, who doesn’t like cats, shame on you, you may not like cats but to have no feelings for the devastation you have left behind is heartless.

“Surely it’s time now for the law to be changed to make it a legal requirement to stop if you hit a cat.

“RIP Jasper, you will always be in my heart.”

The taxi company declined to comment.

Sign the petition at change.org/p/politicians-legal-requirement-to-stop-if-you-hit-a-cat-in-the-same-way-as-you-would-for-a-dog