Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Escaped dogs have just killed my neighbours cat

251 replies

clarkkentsglasses · 18/09/2021 23:06

Bit outing but I am so shaken up and feel physically sick.

Just witnessed the most horrific thing I have ever seen.

My dog started barking really badly, 2 dogs outside barking.

Eventually after a few mins I look out the window and there is horrific screaming.

2 escaped dogs attacking my neighbours cat. They killed it :(

I am shaking. It’s the most traumatic thing I have ever seen. Police uselsss.

Nobody knows where these dogs came from.

I don’t think I’ll ever let my dog off the lead again :(

There is no doubt in my mind these dogs would've killed a child.

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 11:55

But why did the dogs escape? Hardly responsible owners

They're huskies - they could easily have leapt a fence, dug out under a fence, escaped out of a gate or door that wasn't closed properly etc.

Like you say, it's an owner problem, not a dog problem. Huskies have very strong prey drives, very little recall and have been bred to run for miles and miles. It's very hard to get a husky back once it's off and chasing something.

I suspect the solution will be that the dogs are put under a dog control over, which means they'll need to be leashed/muzzled in public at all times, and the owner will be told to secure their property.

squee123 · 19/09/2021 11:59

I would call the police and ask whether they have considered whether the dogs should be classed as dangerously out of control in a public place. That is actually a specific criminal offence but in my experience police don't seem very proactive in doing anything about it unless prompted

NoOtherShadeOfBlue · 19/09/2021 12:02

So glad the dogs have been seized, OP, hope the owner is prosecuted for having out of control dogs. It’s terrifying to me that anyone can go out and get enormous dogs, never bother to train them or keep them secure and nothing happens until they attack. I wish there were ways of enforcing responsible dog ownership to start with rather than reacting when things go wrong.

Shallwegoforawalk · 19/09/2021 12:12

Not sure why you've picked on my quote particularly OP when I'm just saying what several posters have said, that it's instinctual for dogs. Hmm

Again I am sorry you have had a horrible shock and I do sympathise with your neighbour who has lost her pet in this way.

Huskies are incredibly clever and may well have escaped rather than the owner being deliberately neglectful.

Mariell · 19/09/2021 12:22

It’s a horrifying experience to hear and see a small animal being ripped to shreds.

Our dog is a sighthound breed and is very sweet and loving towards people but would cheerfully torture and murder a squirrel.

After he killed one as the creature broke from the woods into open ground, we bought him a bell so that he can still run around having fun but the bell lets them know that he is incoming.

It’s a massive leap to think that because a dog killed a cat that it would attack a child.

There are many working breeds that kill rabbits etc and are perfectly safe around humans.

Mariell · 19/09/2021 12:25

@NoOtherShadeOfBlue

So glad the dogs have been seized, OP, hope the owner is prosecuted for having out of control dogs. It’s terrifying to me that anyone can go out and get enormous dogs, never bother to train them or keep them secure and nothing happens until they attack. I wish there were ways of enforcing responsible dog ownership to start with rather than reacting when things go wrong.
Enormous dogs are usually not a problem. Collies can be extremely vicious despite the loveable image of John Noakes Shep.

The most aggressive dogs I have encountered if I was going to name a breed that’s I have witnessed the most being aggressive would be the Cocker Spaniel. That’s mainly due to poor breeding strains.

bunnybuggs · 19/09/2021 12:29

If it was a lurcher type dog - the cross breed I have had in the pst and loved them for being such beautiful dogs - they shake the cat and break it's neck if they decide to go after one so it would be quick. Some are fine with cats and others aren't
Regardless of that - the dogs should not have been loose and able to get into the cat's garden.
It is not a fair extrapolation to assume that dogs that kill a cat would hurt a child or another dog. There are breeds that are vicious and should be kept muzzled when out.
I believe a labrador (everyone's friendly dog) can also be a killer of small mammals.

bunnybuggs · 19/09/2021 12:34

sorry - I was wrong - labradors can be dangerous for biting humans - not the killing of small mammals

kravestix · 19/09/2021 12:43

That's so bloody awful. Those dogs should be put down.

I swear, if any dog started attacking one of my cats, I'd kill the dog. I'd actually kill it. With whatever I had. My bare fuckings hands if I had to. That poor poor cat and your neighbour. So so sad. I'm sorry you had to witness that, OP.

kravestix · 19/09/2021 12:46

@Mariell

It’s a horrifying experience to hear and see a small animal being ripped to shreds.

Our dog is a sighthound breed and is very sweet and loving towards people but would cheerfully torture and murder a squirrel.

After he killed one as the creature broke from the woods into open ground, we bought him a bell so that he can still run around having fun but the bell lets them know that he is incoming.

It’s a massive leap to think that because a dog killed a cat that it would attack a child.

There are many working breeds that kill rabbits etc and are perfectly safe around humans.

Domeaticated Dogs shouldn't be killing fucking rabbits or squirrels or cats, ffs.
FleasInMyKnees · 19/09/2021 12:49

Poor cat, how awful. The dogs could have caused an accident or attacked a person, I am glad they have been seized, the owners need to take full responsibility for this.

icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 12:51

Domeaticated Dogs shouldn't be killing fucking rabbits or squirrels or cats, ffs.

Domesticated doesn't mean they have no natural instinct.

RandomMess · 19/09/2021 12:52

@kravestix when my cat was killed my anger and desire to kill was aimed purely and the dickhead walking it who had been told not to by the owner, and the owner that trusted the dickhead man that couldn't control the dog.

bizboz · 19/09/2021 13:16

@icedcoffees

Domeaticated Dogs shouldn't be killing fucking rabbits or squirrels or cats, ffs.

Domesticated doesn't mean they have no natural instinct.

No but it does mean that there owners should have them under sufficient control that they cannot get into a situation where they will harm other domesticated pets.
bizboz · 19/09/2021 13:17

their owners

KilljoysDutch · 19/09/2021 13:21

Domeaticated Dogs shouldn't be killing fucking rabbits or squirrels or cats, ffs.

Cats often kill rabbits and squirrels are you going to complain about that too?

Nature red of tooth and claw.

KilljoysDutch · 19/09/2021 13:22

I have pet rats if a cat got into my house and killed my rats during their free roam time I would be heart broken and of course traumatised but I doubt I'd get a lot of sympathy here as it's what cats do.

icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 13:28

No but it does mean that there owners should have them under sufficient control that they cannot get into a situation where they will harm other domesticated pets.

I completely agree with you - as is always the case on these threads, the owners are at fault, not the dogs.

icedcoffees · 19/09/2021 13:29

@KilljoysDutch

Domeaticated Dogs shouldn't be killing fucking rabbits or squirrels or cats, ffs.

Cats often kill rabbits and squirrels are you going to complain about that too?

Nature red of tooth and claw.

Yes, but there is a key difference. Cats have the right to roam and don't have to be under control by law. Dogs do.
Threewheeler1 · 19/09/2021 13:31

Hugs OP, that's so awful.
This happened to my sister. She still gets upset about it.
Their elderly neighbour couldn't control their dog and it jumped into their garden and killed the little cat in front of sis and nephew. Dsis couldn't get it off the cat and the owner was just screaming hysterically. Dog was a rescue dog that they had done a very poor job of supervising. Absolutely horrific.
So sorry you had to witness that and well done for trying to stop it Flowers

Ludo19 · 19/09/2021 15:12

This thread makes me sick.

Dogs are BY LAW meant to be under control, not to be unsupervised where attacks like this can happen.

That poor beloved cat being ripped to shreads is in no way nature as a few posters on here have said. Yes cats hunt, it's horrific to see how they torture a mouse but to categorise that in the same way as being mauled to death by two large dogs is frankly staggering.

My cats are all house cats. My garden is catproofed and I go outside with them and that's mostly because I'm a responsible cat owner but also for the fact like posters on this thread that thinks out of control dogs mauling cats is "natures way."

gailplattshairbrush · 19/09/2021 15:17

Absolutely sickening that some morons are making comments like 'well cats kill too' to justify the behaviour of two off lead, out of control dogs.

Dogs have to be leashed by law. Cats are free to roam by law. I accept nature is nature. The dogs maybe weren't at fault but their useless owners who have allowed aggressive animals to escape clearly are.

Zero compassion here from posters who clearly don't like cats and fail to understand that some poor person has just watched their pet being mauled to death. You should be so ashamed.

userxx · 19/09/2021 15:19

@Ludo19 yeah, I agree It's not the same. Those dogs would more than likely have killed a smaller dog if it had been in their path. That isn't nature, it's aggression.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 19/09/2021 15:25

Yes cats hunt, it's horrific to see how they torture a mouse but to categorise that in the same way as being mauled to death by two large dogs is frankly staggering.

What's the difference? The "staggering" difference even? The cat tortures the mouse to death, the dogs did the same? The fact that the cat is owned by someone who could have kept the cat safe if they'd kept it indoors?

The dogs should have been under control, they should not have killed the cat, but they didn't do anything a cat would not have done. If you tell me that cats roam and that's in their nature, I can tell you that huskies escape, it's in their nature.

MilesOfSand · 19/09/2021 15:27

I absolutely don’t think it’s ‘normal’ for a dog to kill a cat, it’s awful. But what’s not unusual is for them to have the instinctive prey drive to do so. It doesn’t make them a danger to people. What was very wrong here was them being loose and able to do so. The problem was their owners.