Cats mauled as pitbulls roam streets

JOELLE DALLY | 21st May 2010

When Lea Kortman heard a cat screaming, never did she imagine it was her Winkle being mauled by dogs.

City council animal control officers have started patrols of the Hoon Hay area to try and find the dogs - described as two tawny brown American pitbull terriers.

It appears the owners of the dogs are letting them loose in the neighbourhood at night.

The dogs are believed to have killed at least two cats in the suburb over the last few weeks, with one resident witnessing one of the fatal attacks on her doorstep.

Animal control officers set up a trap in a property where one of the attacks took place.

Three other cats have gone missing.

Winkle, a black-and-white long haired cat, was killed last Thursday night.

Mrs Kortman said she was watching television when she heard frenzied barking outside.

She opened the doors of her Samuel St house, and while she could see nothing, she heard "the most godawful screaming" from her cat.

A neighbour chased the dogs away and found Winkle dead on the road.

"I'm just devastated. It's left a huge hole," Ms Kortman said.

A resident on nearby Dalkeith St saw the dogs ripping her cat apart on her doorstep.

And a Newland St resident has put up flyers after his six-year-old Abbysinian cat went missing last Friday.

Its collar and fur were found on the road.

"Whether these people just moved into the area, we are not sure. They (the dogs) are just roaming in pairs at night. It's bizarre," said the resident, who did not want to be identified because of fear of retribution.

Residents in Kevin and Cedars Sts had also had their cats go missing.

"Whether it's more widespread, we don't know," said the man.

He believed the owners of the dogs were aware of what was happening.

"They (the dogs) are not just killing the cats, they are taking them with them...the (dog owners) obviously don't care."

City council inspections and enforcement manager Gary Lennan said while the dogs were a threat to local cats, it was not believed they posed a danger to people.

He said animal control officers had been patrolling the area since last Friday and would continue to do so - including in the evenings - to capture the dogs. 

"If the dogs' home can be identified, this would be particularly useful information,' Mr Lennan said.

Anyone with information about the dogs should phone the city council on 941 8666. If someone thinks they have spotted the dogs, they should phone the city council immediately.