A planning proposal has been submitted for a statue of Hugo the cat, who charmed residents of Edinburgh’s West End before a fatal car collision accident.
In May 2023, Hugo was struck by a car that failed to stop and was left injured in a nearby garden.
Although he survived the first night, the severity of his injuries meant that he later had to be put down.
Hugo’s death has sparked a campaign to make it law to report collisions with cats.
Under current laws, motorists must tell police after collisions with dogs, horses, sheep, pigs, cows, and goats.
However, they are not required to notify anyone after collisions with cats.
Jane Rutherford, the owner of Hugo, said: “A cat is no less precious than a dog. We don’t know how long he was there – ten minutes or an hour – in pain. I would love to see that change so other pets are not discarded.”
For over a year now, friends of Hugo have been calling for a statue to be erected on William Street, where the cat was a well-known sight.
Di Walker, who owns a business on the street, said: “Hugo was a daily visitor to my shop. He visited nearly everyone on the street; we all knew him.”
The planned statute may raise awareness for the campaign to change the law. Its planning statement says it would also “encourage a sense of community” and “increase footfall for the businesses in William Street by attracting and acting as a point of interest for visitors.”
“Ginger cat” by Jevgenijs Slihto is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
