Dog in park mauls pet cat to death

A HAMERSLEY family has urged the City of Stirling to reconsider off-leash areas in parks after their family cat was violently mauled to death last month.

The parents, who have asked not to be named, are scared for their children’s and other’s lives after their pet cat Leo was fatally mauled by a dog last month.

The family had arrived home and were busy around the house when they heard a commotion over their fence, which is near the Rannoch Tay Earn Reserve.

A 13-year-old boy was the first to see their beloved family cat bleeding to death in the mouth of a dog, who was off the leash.

The family’s mother said the event had traumatised her children.

“The issue that we have is that it is being promoted as being a family-friendly park, but it is also promoted as a dog-friendly park and that just seems at ends,” she said.

“How can you have a dog-friendly park with two playgrounds there?”

The woman said she feared for the safety of her three-year-old dog and children, who are eight and 13.

“It’s not like we’re dog haters, we’re actually animal lovers, but we’re scared for the future,” she said.

There have been 434 dog attacks across the City of Stirling over the past three years, with one other attack recorded in 2008 at the Hamersley reserve. The City has 20,000 dogs registered with the rangers.

While the reserve is an off-leash area for dogs, under State law dog owners must maintain control of their dog at all times and must be on a leash when they are within five metres of a playground.

Community safety manager Laurie Crouch said the city was not planning to change the status of the park to an on-leash area.

“Dog walkers need to maintain control of their dog as a responsible dog owner,” he said.

“The bottom line is if you own a dog and it attacks, you are responsible.”

Community safety acting manager James Fisher said the city would be prosecuting the dog owner.

“The City takes responsible dog ownership very seriously and if you own a dog you need to have it under your effective control at all times whether that be on or off the lead,” he said.

“The City encourages responsible dog ownership which also includes desexing, microchipping, registering and vaccinating your pet.”

The maximum fine for a dog attack is $10,000.

What everyone else is thinking

Melissa

11/01/2013

I would like to raise question to the unbalanced view of this article. No where does it mention the dog owner's side of the story or their view on how this incident happened. This in turn, has not told the full story of why and how this attack happened. I am a parent that regularly attends this park with my children, and I have never been concerned about the safety of my children or the dogs that frequently walk this park.
At the end of the day.... cats kill birds, dogs kill cats, and .....Erienne, there are TWO sides to every story!

Peter

Owners of Cats & Dogs should have equal responsibility. Local government and State Government should have laws for ca towners just s they exist for dog owners. This cat was obviously in the park but unlike the poor dog seems to have more rights! Why?Leo's owners were also irresponsible and should be prosecuted to be fair! Cats are a menance to wildlife and this is well documented. Visit the Cat Haven and see how irresponsible cat owners are!

james

09/01/2013

whos to say the cat didnt chase the dog and the dog was defending itself? It has and does happen. Why should a cat be alowed to roam around reserves and what not unsupervised by its owner? How many native birds has it killed? They wouldnt know as it was able to roam free. While i do feel sympathy for the owners of the cat they need to take some responsibility and not be so hypocritical. A dog is a wild animal at the end of the day and regardless of training if it feels threatened it will protect itself. Maybe the cat should of been on a lead?

jackie

Adrenalin Junkie cat. Very mature Eastside Massive!!!!
My next door neighbours cat sits under our front window every day and a dog which got out of its yard came onto MY property and grabbed the cat a proceeded to toss and maul to cat to death to the horror of there 4 year old daughter. So who's fault is that. The dog could have grabbed the 4 year old but went for the cat instead. I agree with look after your animals.

And cats?

08/01/2013

Ok yes, the dog should be on a lead etc etc BUT the car shoul not be in a nature reserve either. What about all the NATIVE wildlife that cat had probably been killing over the years??? Tragic end, but Hypocritical solution really to blame the dog - step up and take some of the responsibility

Sasha

One thing we can't argue with is that the fact is it comes down to irresponsible humans as usual!!

gazza

The answer is MUZZLES, MUZZLES, MUZZLES...
How much longer will it take for the answer to sink in...
On leash, off leash...doesn't matter...
But it will have to be ' across the board'...no exceptions.

Hamersley resident with dog

I have not seen a single Stirling Ranger in any park or dog beach in the four years I've had my dog. I blame the Stirling City Council for lack of resources in this area! I have witnessed many irresponsible dog owners and resultant conflicts over my walks but dare not approach them for fear of retaliation. I would welcome the opportunity to show a ranger just how hard i have worked to have a trained and responsive dog and wish others of less commitment the consequences of fines that they deserve. Irresponsible dog owners will only leash their dogs when the council starts acting on their policies.

averill

In "off leash areas in Reserves-Parks etc. dogs should have to wear a muzzle. They can run freely but should not be able to bite other dogs, cats or children! This would ensure that even the dog who"...has never bitten anyone before..." is safely controlled. The soft nylon ones are cheap to buy and easy to put on. As for cats, well I have never heard of a cat killing a child or dog, birds and lizards yes, but how many of them would be in a reserve with children' s playgrounds, and dogs running everywhere!

SandyT79

I have to agree with Eastside Massive in a way. Cats shuold be controlled in the same manner as dogs. Cats roam the streets freely doing what they please. Why shouldnt a cat owner be made to be responsible for their pets also. If a dog is found to be roaming the streets it is taken by a ranger and taken to the pound. Just saying their seems to be two sets of rules here. I really dont appreciate cats climbing all over my car and running alond fence lines at night stirring up my dog. Keep your cats contained is all im saying. This accident may not have happened..

Tyson

Dogs stay on the leash, cats stay on ur own property end of story!!! Im sick of hearinh about irresponsible dog and cat owners!! Learn to to be responsible or dont have a pet at all!!!!!!! Im constantly chasing cats out of my yard to keep them away from my birds, and the amount of dog owners who walk down the street with their dog off the lead is just rediculous!!

Debbutler

As a child we lived on a highway that ran through town, we lost 2 cats and our dog to that road. I can still recall the image of our cat 35 years on, it is sad for children.
Responsible ownership involves more than the four steps mentioned, and it should be equally applied to cats. All pets need boundaries it is obvious that if animals are not restrained there will be issues.

Pete Carter

"Or just another stupid cat" ... that's hardly showing a lot of sensitivity and respect for a family that has just lost their beloved moggy Leo, Eastside Massive. The key issue is that there have been 434 dog attacks across the City of Stirling in the past three years, which is almost three per week on average. We don't know for sure whether this family didn't have a cat run and that maybe Leo had somehow got out. As for very few people doing little to protect their cats, most people I know (my wife and I included) are quite vigilant about keeping their cat in the yard at all times. I'm a lover of all birds, lizards, etc and don't wish to see them fall victim to the family pet, but please, let's not dramatise about what this poor cat may have done.

Shelly

Whatever the cat may or may NOT have done does not justify what the dog has done.

Eastside Massive your comment is irrational and this shows that clearly you dont care about cats.

Dogs must be under control at all times. This one wasnt. There is no justification. End of story.

Eastside Massive

Firstly it is sad that your family had to witness the death of a family pet this way. I do not wish that on anyone. That said, its a dog friendly park, not a cat friendly park. Sounds like the cat was in the park when it got mauled. Must have been an adrenalin junkie that got caught out. Or just another stupid cat. I would have thought a cat run was in order living next to a dog park. Everyone loves their cat so much but few actually do anything to protect them. How many birds, lizards etc has your cat mauled to death in a horrific scene of violence? How many orphans has your cat created? Birds and other small creatures don't matter I guess.

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