Dog just killed my cat

[IroningThrone]

Heard a commotion in my back garden and stepped out to see a young lad dragging his dog off something in my back garden. He went over the fence and my beautiful little cat was lying dead on the grass. I'm in absolute bits, can't stop crying. I got her as a little rescue kitten ten years ago and she's been with me through so much life stuff. Have a crime number from the police, have no idea how I'm going to tell my family. I don't even know how the dog got into my garden because I have talk fences and a locked gate. Ir doesn't feel real and I just want to give her a cuddle and make her wake up

Holy shit, that is fucking awful. I'm so sorry, OP. RIP, puss xxx

It is absolutely not your fault.
I feel so sorry that this has happened, it’s just awful.
Sounds to me like the child was unable to control the dog and the dog clearly has a high prey drive. This likely means it could well happen to someone else’s pet.
Are you able to describe the boy and the dog? Could you ask on local Facebook if anyone can identify them?
I don’t know what the police might do but I would also contact the RSPCA

OP says it was a ''Lurcher type'' dog.

There are now ''Bull Lurchers'' about that even I {as a past Lurcher owner } would give a hard pass to.

Lurchers come in all different shapes and sizes, dependent on the ''Cross'' that's gone into them.

They are essentially a 'Sighthound' that chases things that move fast - this is hardwired into them. But add ''Bull'' genes, and they become much more hard mouthed.

Usually a cat will be able to defend itself by deploying her claws- but not against a powerful dog she couldn't

That dog sounds like a practiced cat attacker. Dog owner completely to blame.

A Lurcher {like any dog} should always be on a lead around roads and people's homes where cats are likely to be.

People who own out of control dogs are breaking the law- this dog who killed @IroningThrone young cat was dangerously out of control - as PP have said, maybe neighbours with 'Ring' doorbells can help.

Very likely the dog concerned will have scars on it's face and muzzle from prior attacks where a cat has tried to defend itself.

This news item..

A Lurcher here was deliberately set upon a cat and this dog too jumped a six foot fence.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/cats-killed-pet-owners-injured-4652213

Thank you, hadn't seen the OP mention breed.

Yes bull lurchers are/were used as drawing dogs (badgers and foxes) as well as lamping foxes (bright light used at night, dog chases fox).. Very efficient and strong killers. Strictly speaking illegal but when did that stop anyone! A cat would be easy prey.

A bull lurcher is easily identifyable and classes as a bull breed IMO therefore should be subject to any restrictions. Bull breeds and their crosses are as easy to ID as a duck imo!

I'm not sure this points towards 'practiced cat hunter' any more than a dog just following his instincts. My dog used to try and chase squirrels no matter how much we trained him. It's something you usually have to train out of the dog, not a learned behaviour.

Of course, the solution is a lead or muzzle.

Bull breeds aren't illegal.

Not if dog had escaped. Idiot dog-owners would not muzzle.

I’m so so sorry OP. I live in fear of something like this happening to our cat but I know she’d be unhappy kept in. This wasn’t your fault at all.

Why anyone would keep a pet that would do this is beyond me.

As the lad disappeared over your neighbour’s fence I wonder if he (and the dog) was a visitor there? Have you asked your neighbour?

I am so sorry for your loss, Op ❤️

Why anyone would keep a pet that would do this is beyond me.

Most cats would do this tbf. My neighbour's rabbit was killed and dragged off by a cat when I was a kid.

I’m so sorry reading this OP.

Why anyone would keep a pet that would do this is beyond me.

All sighthounds would kill small furries given the chance, they are truly wonderful pets though and some can learn that “their” cats etc are out of bounds. I wouldn’t have anything else, you just have to be mindful of the prey drive.

So sorry for your loss and so traumatic 💐

I would put photos of her on social media with a description of the lad and the dog, together with time and date and appeal for info. What an appalling thing to happen.

The owner going out after dark with a strong lurcher off its lead in a domestic area? Sounds like the idiot owner knew what he was doing.

Any hunting type dog after dark has it's mettle up- If he was responsible, that dog would have been on a secure collar and lead and muzzled if he was too weak to keep hold of it.

Chances are he slips that dog onto cats.

A squirrel is very different to a cat. A cat is someone's beloved pet, anyone with a brain in their head discourages any 'cat chasing'. cat's claws can embed into a dog's cornea.

Yes I know. But we can live in hope.

Of them being heavily restricted a d licensed.

Fair point. I guess the difference is you’d expect a risk of cats coming into your back garden but not dogs. And cats aren’t a threat to humans in the same way. But you’re right that it’s the same instinctive behaviour on the part of the animal.

There's not actually an epidemic of French bulldogs, pugs, and English bulldogs attacking people though. They feature far less commonly in bites/fatalities than a lot of more popular 'family' breeds.

I think it needs to be a bit more specific and somehow target dangerous dogs.

II would do this too. The boy isn’t able to control his dog. I’m a dog owner myself and I think this is a responsible thing to do.

For clarity, I'm not minimising anything. I just think it's a dangerous path to go down when we start blaming animals for following natural instincts and then having them put to sleep as a result.

The owner needs to understand the nature of the breed/animal and the limitations of training. They need to be 100% in control which will likely involve leads/muzzles and not having an animal which is far too powerful for the individual to restrain.

I don't disagree that a lot of innocent dog owners and breeds will get penalised in the sort of restrictions necessary but as a Rottweiler owner, I understand that it might be necessary to heavily restrict dog ownership. It's gone too far. We only see the kills and serious injury on the news. There are A LOT of attacks, (fatal on animals), near misses when dogs are increasingly out of control.

I believe through the idiocy of others, innocent people will get penalised but innocent people are already suffering because of the actions of some.

People NEED to be safe. No one NEEDS a particular type of dog.

I don't disagree that a lot of innocent dog owners and breeds will get penalised in the sort of restrictions necessary

I would argue then that these restrictions are in many cases unnecessary.

I genuinely think it's mostly common sense which breeds are dangerous. A pug or French bulldog doesn't fit that classification to me, even if there is a separate argument about banning them due to inbreeding/health issues etc.

But of course some decent owners will still get penalised as the majority of these dogs don't kill people - e.g. my colleague has an enormous XL Bully that is impeccably well trained. However, even with pit bulls being banned the authorities will still return them to the owner if they pass all the temperament tests.

I'm so sorry for your loss. That's absolutely heartbreaking. I have a cat so I get it.