That’s exactly what happened to Terrey Hills resident Sharon Mason who watched in horror with her children as a dog mauled her cat to death on the family’s property on Sunday morning.
Ms Mason - an avid dog lover and breeder herself - said an unknown dog, which she identified as an American bulldog, had entered her Laitoki St home and chased the family’s five-year-old cat Millie around the outside of the house before the dog caught her.
Ms Mason, her daughter Zoe and son Zack, did their best to pull Millie away from the dog.
But by the time they were able to do so and rush Millie to Terrey Hills Animal Hospital, the vet said her injuries were so severe that she had to be put down.
“We lost a part of our family who is very dear to us,” Ms Mason said.
“We’ve been in tears since it happened ... I wouldn’t like any other children to have to see what we’ve seen.
“We’re still not sure if it (the dog) has been put down or not and we’re edgy.”
As Ms Mason was rushing to the vet a car passing by recognised the dog and alerted the dog owner, who went to the vet and paid for the cat to be put down.
Ms Mason said the owner was very apologetic and vowed to put the dog down, which a spokeswoman for Warringah Council has confirmed was done.
But the spokeswoman would not confirm to the Manly Daily whether the dog had been on the council’s dangerous dogs list before the attack.
She also would not confirm the dog was an American Bulldog.
While the American pit bull terrier is listed by the council as a restricted dog breed, where owners have to abide by strict compliances for their breed, the American Bulldog is not on the dangerous dogs list.
(Manly Daily - Dec 22, 2011)
