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A cat owner whose feline competed in an annual dog swim has attacked ‘crazy inbred servants’ who threatened to shoot their pet if they went inside again.
Three years ago, well-known political strategist Glenn Druery and his cat Gus the Tonkinese participated in the Christmas Eve dog swim on the island of Scotland.
The annual event sees locals from Sydney’s isolated enclave, which has around 1,000 residents, run their dogs through a 550-meter stretch of water while kayaking, rowing or swimming.
Outsiders can also enter with Mr. Druery who previously won the race with his dog Bob in 2015. However, after Bob’s death, the strategist entered the 2019 competition with his feline Gus.
Gus caused joy when he beat several dogs in the field.
Although Gus was a hit with most locals and observers, Druery told Daily Mail Australia he was abused by a ‘crazy’ minority, with one man threatening to shoot Gus.
Druery decided to skip this year’s event, adding: “This is my cat we’re talking about.”
‘I’m not going to risk your safety because of a drunken hero who doesn’t like outsiders.’
Gus the Tonkinese cat caused joy when he punched several dogs during a Christmas Eve swim off the island of Scotland in 2019, but one owner threatened to shoot Gus to death.
Although Gus was a hit with most locals and observers, Mr. Druery struck some “crazy” locals.
Gus beat several dogs in the race and was a huge hit with the big crowds in 2019
Photographer Alec Smart started attending the race in 2010 and agreed that 2019 was “unfriendly and angry”.
The strategist said thousands attended the event in 2019 after hearing that Gus would be competing against dogs.
‘We were received with absolute joy. We spent over an hour before and after the race with people taking selfies of Gus.
“It was a wonderful and beautiful event. Most people on the Isle of Scotland are an absolute joy and a lovely old lady came down with a bowl of water and some cat food for Gus.
‘She told him ‘you will need the strength for the race’. She was great and obviously drew a crowd.
Despite the excitement of the event, Druery said he was wary of a small minority of locals who appear to be opposed to the event growing in popularity.
“It’s a really fun event and seems to draw a good crowd. Imagine what we could do. Imagine if Gus showed up and we were raising money for a charity. Any charity like children with cancer. Picture that,’ she said.
‘And this small minority of parochial crackpots and I think they must have gone to anti-vaccine sovereign citizenship training school, you know they’re all the same these kind of people.
“The small but loud, very loud, small minority have gotten their claws into this event and Gus has been scratched as a result.
Druery decided to skip this year’s event, adding: “This is my cat we’re talking about.” I’m not going to risk his safety because of a drunken hero who doesn’t like outsiders.
The annual event sees locals from the Sydney enclave, which has around 1,000 residents, run their dogs across a 550-meter stretch of water while kayaking, paddle-boarding or swimming.
Outsiders can also enter with Mr. Druery who previously won the race with his dog Bob in 2015.
Druery also revealed that Gus’ performance in 2019 earned him international recognition.
‘Look, I work in politics and I’m used to crazy people. I am used to taking abusive emails and messages to the police and the police go and deal with these people.
Most of them are paper tigers. Most of them are cowards. But this is my cat we are talking about. I’m not going to risk his safety for some drunken hero who doesn’t like strangers.
‘I mean, these people really are from another planet, they just don’t like strangers coming to their event.
“They think they are a bit special and they are incredibly xenophobic.
“You know, if I were doing a cartoon of them, we wouldn’t be able to understand the way they talk because most of their teeth would be missing.”
Druery also revealed that Gus’ performance in 2019 earned him international recognition.
‘Last time. Gus was on the front pages as well as on TV and radio. In fact, he received international recognition.
“We had a film crew from Japan come to Australia for two days. 10 people over two days and they filmed Gus swimming, mountain biking, kayaking, you name it.
“That goes back to Japan and we have a fan base there like you would never believe.”
Photographer Alec Smart started attending the race in 2010 and agreed that 2019 was “unfriendly and angry”.
He pointed the finger at a small group of locals who “didn’t like outsiders” and the growing publicity of the event.
However, Shane O’Neill, who lives on the island and had been part of the Scottish Island Residents’ Association, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the race was for dogs.
It’s a dog race. I know he’s trying to be funny and a little ironic… I don’t think people come to see a cat swim.
They’ve been coming for years. It’s not just 2019, there have been huge crowds coming [for] a long time.’