 |
| Angie Guy with a photo of her cats, with Polo in the center |
UNITED KINGDOM -- A dog mauled a cat to death after it was let off its lead by a gang of schoolboys.
Horrified owner Angie Guy, 51, heard a commotion outside her home in Shoebury Avenue, Shoebury, and went out to find her beloved cat Polo had been chased and mauled by a staffie-type dog.
Brave neighbours rushed to help the stricken cat, even throwing a bucket of water over the dog to make it let go. Sadly Polo’s injuries were so severe Miss Guy had to have him put to sleep.
She said: “I rushed him to the vets and they said the prognosis was really bad.
“He looked as if he had a fracture to the neck or spine and three of his legs were paralysed along with his bladder and bowels, so his chances of recovery weren’t good.
“It was a question of having to make that decision. The vet wanted to carry on with X-rays, but that wasn’t going to change the prognosis so I had to let him go. He is the third cat in six years that I’ve lost from a dog attack. It’s heartbreaking.”
In 2005 her cat Pepper was killed by a staffie-type dog, and in 2009 she lost a tabby called Shadow after she was chased and attacked by a lurcher.
Miss Guy, who has three other cats and a dog, had Polo, a 14-year-old white long-haired male, since he was just six-weeks old.
She said: “My pets are my family, my animals are my children and are a big part of my life. How many more do I need to lose? They are my family and it’s killing me.”
Following the latest attack, Miss Guy’s neighbours told the four children, thought to be aged between 12 to 15, to put their pet on a lead. This was ignored by the group who quickly fled with the tan-coloured dog, which was wearing a collar and a brown leather harness.
Miss Guy, who works in Rayleigh, feels children should not be allowed to walk such powerful dogs.
She said: “My concern is other animals and cats that are about.
“Once a dog has a taste of blood there’s a high probability that it will do it again, and it could be a cat or it could be a child. To me it’s the irresponsibility of the owners, the people who are in control of the dog, in not having it on a leash in a public place.
“Any dog owner should always be in control of their dog.”
A spokeswoman for Essex Police confirmed officers had been called about the incident, which happened shortly before 6.25pm on Monday. Witnesses call Southend police station on 0300 3334444.
(Echo - Sept 2, 2011)
