Cat badly injured in dog fight

[StephG]

Gatwick was my cat. Thank you to all those who went looking for him - that was really kind of you. Unfortunately the dog finished him off by the time i got there and it eventually released him. The girl mentioned above wasn't the dog owner, but her friend. She managed a sorry and left. The owner had already scarpered. I won't go into how upset and outraged I am by the whole horrific incident. I have no doubt that the dog will do it again. Poor Gatwick didn't deserve to go like that.

[snowflake]

Poor gatwick, was hoping the original post was just mistaken somehow!

Is there anyway to report it, find the dog owner???

[bonniebird]

StephG I am so sorry about Gatwick :( am gutted for you and him xxxxx

[minder]

So sorry to hear about your cat.

My Mums cat met the same fate with a couple of Dalmations (would you believe it) and the owner just walked away as if nothing had happened (according to a neighbour).

All dogs should be kept on a lead and/or muzzled (even in a park).

[DJKillaQueen]

This is a really sad story and so sad for you Steph. My mother had dogs all her life (and all sizes, breeds) and not a single one of them would ever have chased or harmed a cat or any other living thing. Some owners just shouldn't be allowed to keep dogs. It reminds me of one time when one of my cats was attacked by a dog off it's lead. It cost me almsot ?200 in emergency vet fees (although thankfully he wasn't hurt - the blood was not his) and in spite of this...the very next day I saw the same guy walking the same dog, off it's lead past my home. Owners like that really do not care whilst having absolutely no control over their pets.

[Spooner]

StephG - you must be very upset and no cat deserves an end like that.

davidh - what is so wrong with dogs always being on the lead on the street? Maybe I'm naive but if that was a clear rule then at least the police could do something about owners who didn't keep their dogs on a lead and if more dogs were on a lead then there would be less occasion for attacks. Isn't it also in the dog's own interest to be on the lead on the street with traffic etc?

[pommie]

StephG - I am really really sorry to hear about gatwick. I hope you can try and find out who owned this pitbull dog and do something about it

i think its in the interest of everyone for people to have their dogs on leads. What happens if next time its a child that gets attacked by a dog thats not on a lead

[Twirly]

Am so sorry to hear about Gatwick's fate, and can only imagine how upset you can be.

[bonniebird]

Spooner, I totally agree ALL dogs should be ON lead in the street, its cocky to presume they won't see a cat/squirrel/dog and run after it and cause an accident, then the owner if caught will/can be sued. My dogs are insured for this and health things, but mine are not ever off lead in the street. In the park, yes, all dogs need a run and play for there well being and health, but not on the street.

[MarleyLover]

@davidh I agree with you strongly. Every time there is a newspaper story the media creates mass hysteria. I wish every story of animal cruelty could be reported - I am sure you would see more harm, violence and neglect is done by humans to animals every single day!!

[MarleyLover]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss of Gatwick :-((

[Ali56]

I was so very very sad to read this story.

I am thinking of you Steph and hope you have lots of support from friends to help you through this awful time

I don't think there is a debate about dogs being kept on leads when in public places.

Of course they must be otherwise these awful stories will keep appearing.

[RosieH]

I'm assuming all the people on here calling for dogs to be kept on a lead at all times also feel cats should be kept indoors, or also on a lead? Either that or they don't feel the 55 million songbirds killed by cats every year deserve their pity (I figure frogs, mice and rats haven't a dismembered leg to stand on in this particular argument).

This was a horrible thing to happen, awful and upsetting for Steph, and hideously irresponsible (criminal?) of the dog owner.

However while we keep pets in such numbers and in such close quarters, such events are sadly inevitable. The best we can do is for ALL pet owners to act responsibly to prevent animals acting according to their nature, resulting in needless killing.

[Mands]

OMG im so sorry to hear that about Gatwick. Im so shocked about what happened. I really hope the owner of that dog gets their comeuppance. I really feel for you Steph.

[DJKillaQueen]

Rosie. If dogs are kept on leads....they are less likely to chase and kill anything. We can have a debate about keeping cats indoors if you like but it IS a seperate issue. And in no way should it be argued that unless cats are kept indoors, dog owners shouldn't have to keep their dogs on leads at appropriate times either, which is what your comparison seems to imply.

[Sunlover00]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Rosie. If dogs are kept on leads....they are less

> likely to chase and kill anything. We can have a

> debate about keeping cats indoors if you like but

> it IS a seperate issue. And in no way should it be

> argued that unless cats are kept indoors, dog

> owners shouldn't have to keep their dogs on leads

> at appropriate times either, which is what your

> comparison seems to imply.

It's not really a seperate issue. Yes cats are unlikely to harm people but in terms of their own safety then yes it is a very valid point to keep cats indoors or have tighter controls. By no means am I implying steph 'asked' for this awful attack to happen.

[DJKillaQueen]

Then what do we do about foxes, badgers, birds that kill insects.......Wild animals kill wild animals of which there are a few good feral wild cats. That's nature.

This is a debate about domesticated animals killing other domesticated animals.

And imo it's completely heartless to be turning this into a cat v dog debate when an owner has just lost a dearly loved pet in the most brutal way imaginable, whilst unforgivably that dog owner looked on and did nothing (before doing a runner).

[Sunlover00]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Then what do we do about foxes, badgers, birds

> that kill insects.......Wild animals kill wild

> animals of which there are a few good feral wild

> cats. That's nature.

>

> This is a debate about domesticated animals

> killing other domesticated animals.

>

> And imo it's completely heartless to be turning

> this into a cat v dog debate when an owner has

> just lost a dearly loved pet in the most brutal

> way imaginable, whilst unforgivably that dog owner

> looked on and did nothing (before doing a runner).

For a debate, there needs to be an opposing view and I don't see anywhere in Rosie's post that she was in anyway supporting that particular dog owners actions. There are questions being posed and discussed all throughout this thread re merits of compulsory dog muzzling, leads in/outside parks etc but as soon as anyone raises a point about cats it's shot down. You're right. It's not a cat vs dog debate. Don't make it out that there is one.

[DJKillaQueen]

Nonsense.....did I mention cats first? No

Rosie wrote....

'I'm assuming all the people on here calling for dogs to be kept on a lead at all times also feel cats should be kept indoors, or also on a lead? Either that or they don't feel the 55 million songbirds killed by cats every year deserve their pity (I figure frogs, mice and rats haven't a dismembered leg to stand on in this particular argument).'

Sunlover...that is also a way of saying if you are going to come down on dogs then you'd better come down on cats too...or should I put it this way....don't blame dogs for killing cats when cats kill birds.....?

Now you tell me sunlover....just why did Rosie feel the need to point out that cats kill wild animals?

[RosieH]

For fuck's sake DJKQ, at what point did I say that unless cats are kept indoors, dog owners shouldn't have to keep their dogs on leads at appropriate times? I felt the need to make the point because of the repeated calls on this thread for dogs to be kept on leads or muzzled AT ALL TIMES.

Of course wild animals kill other animals. It's natural. Just as it's natural for dogs and cats to attack other animals. What isn't natural is the numbers in which dogs and cats are kept in a small area. They simply wouldn't exist in such numbers in the wild, with the result that their impact on wildlife is entirely disproportionate with anything that would occur naturally.

Something has been done about dogs causing problems, and I have no problem with dogs being on a lead on the road. I do have a problem with dogs being on a lead or muzzled in a park. If we're going to accept that we can all own a pet, then we need to accept that those animals need to thrive, and that means dogs can run about and pant and lick things.

Nothing however has been done about cats causing problems to other animals. Perhaps in your world DJKQ, only domesticated pets count, and so we shouldn't care about any other animals, but I'm sick to the back teeth of cat owners calling for dog muzzles while not giving a crap about the millions of animals killed by cats each year.

This is not in any way to do with Steph - what happened was horrific and she has my greatest sympathy. If the owner of the dog can be found, he should be criminally prosecuted and the dog should be removed. It is a response to anyone who thinks cats have some superior right to roam, and that dogs should pay the price for it. I'm asking certain cat owners to consider their hypocrisy in turning a blind eye to their own pet's behaviour while asking for others' to be curtailed.

I'm with Chris Packham on this http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/2012/06/changes-for-cat-people.shtml

[Sunlover00]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Then what do we do about foxes, badgers, birds

> that kill insects.......Wild animals kill wild

> animals of which there are a few good feral wild

> cats. That's nature.

So pray tell, where would one find these "good feral cats" that would be vegetarian and partake in a spot of chess for leisure and not chasing down smaller prey? Why even mention cats specifically what's your point?

>

> This is a debate about domesticated animals

> killing other domesticated animals.

And even domesticated animals still have natural instincts.

>

>

Totally agree with you Rosie.

DKQ- Using your same logic in an earlier post, if there are less cats roaming without any controls then less cats will be hurt either by other animals or cars.

[bonniebird]

I am obviously a dog lover, I work with dogs and have the best job ever ;) What we have to remember is, there are around 9 million dogs in this country, when something bad happens with 2 dogs like on the forum, all the rest of the 8 million 999998 (probably written wrong!) dogs are tarred with the same brush :/ You can't put all dogs in the same category. Dogs are good for us. All the dog haters out there, I hope if you ever need a dog to help you out, like a Police dog, a search and rescue dog, a guide dog, a hearing dog for deaf people, a dog that can tell you when you are about to have a seizure, a cancer detection dog, drug dogs, dogs for the disabled, a Pets As Therapy dog, guard dog, good all round companion etc etc, I hope that you don't really hate all dogs, they do a lot of good and we only seem to hear about the bad things that happen, what a shame :( My dogs need to be allowed social time off lead, to meet there friends in the park and have a bit of fun, sniffing, licking each other etc etc. A Border Collie for example never allowed offlead or having to wear a muzzle so they can't play with a ball, well then you've got trouble.

[civilservant]

I'm with Rosie, sunlover00 and bonniebird on this

Very sorry about the poor cat's fate, but the response needs to be proportionate.

[pincushionqueen]

Sorry to hear about Gatwick StephG. What an awful thing to happen :(

[Charlotte1988]

Really sorry about Gatwick, Steph :( May he rest in peace