Greyhound owners setting their dogs on local cats.

JimiTime

Last night I was awoken to a horrible sound. At first I thought it was the foxes (For anyone who hasn't heard the noises foxes make, it sounds like a child being butchered), but then I heard what sounded like the sound of a cat and the growl of a dog so I leaped out of Bed and looked out the window. There to my horror was the neighbours lovely cat being torn asunder by two greyhounds while their owners shone a torch on them. At this stage the cat was dead. By the time I threw my clothes on the owners had fled with the dogs.

I HAD 2 cats, but one went missing before Christmas and I suspect met the same fate:( Back in January, I was driving home late in the evening, and when I got out of my car 2 blokes in the park startled. I thought they looked a bit suspect, and it was obviously unusual to be walking their dogs after midnight. I then got to thinking that maybe they were blooding their Greyhounds.

I'm still horrified by the events last night, and how these two evil b@stards would have no qualms about letting their dogs tear apart a family pet like that. Anyway, I'm just wondering what the law can do in this matter? I don't know these two guys, but I'm not from the best of areas, so for all I know they could be gangland thugs, and tbh, if they can do that to an animal, I don't think its far off from being able to do it to a person. So I'm not going to bother with the law route if they get a fine and a slap on the wrist. I'd love to set a couple of Lions on them, but I don't know anyone with some Lions to lend me!!

Anyway, any constructive advice appreciated. Any, 'Why was the cat out' etc comments, please have the decency to stay out of the thread.

Thanks,
J.

PS. On a side note, I'm absolutely appalled at the amount of dog owners who encourage their dogs to get in a frenzy after cats, or simply let their dogs go chase cats. i live right at a park and see it daily, and have numerous encounters with these dog owners. I blows my mind that these are setting THEIR family pet at other people family pets. I mean, they may not like cats, but surely they can empathise the affection people have for their pets, be they cats, dogs or whatever.

kildare.17hmr

have to ask but how do you know what a child being butcherd sounds like??????

I think you should at least tell your neighbour what you saw and elt them go to the gards with it, i live in kildare and dont see much like this, ie scumbags walkin round with dogs to be hard men and terrorising the place. i work in dublin though and see a fair few lads lookin like their up to no good with uncontroled dogs and it pisses me off.

JimiTime

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

have to ask but how do you know what a child being butcherd sounds like??????

It sounds like a foxes mating call. Duh:)

I think you should at least tell your neighbour what you saw and elt them go to the gards with it

No doubt!! I've already been onto the Park Rangers to let them know whats going on.

, i live in kildare and dont see much like this, ie scumbags walkin round with dogs to be hard men and terrorising the place.

Have to be honest, I don't see that a lot here, though have seen it elsewhere. Hardman with pitbull as a status symbol of sorts kind of thing. These guys are under the cover of the night. As for the dog owners encouraging their dogs to chase the cats, I'm talking about parents. I'm talking middle aged men and women who have kids with them. Its bizarre!!

i work in dublin though and see a fair few lads lookin like their up to no good with uncontroled dogs and it pisses me off.

Well, its because of these people that responsible owners are hit with all the regulations they hate so much. The answer to last night is not muzzling greyhounds, but rather doing something to the owners.

anniehoo

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

have to ask but how do you know what a child being butcherd sounds like??????

Pedantic much? :rolleyes:

OP thats horrific and id be on the phone to the guards explaining what you saw. They may step up their patrol of your area and prevent those scumbags from coming around again. There probably isnt much they could really do to be honest unless they actually caught them in the act but at least it might scaremonger them a bit. Sickening if they are baiting their dogs like that

Teyla Emmagan

God, that's a horrible experience OP. I hope you're wrong, and that isn't really happening. Did you tell your neighbour what happened to their cat?

I would definitely tell the guards. And the ISPCA/DSPCA. Sometimes they can achieve a lot, but they certainly won't be able to do anything (and prevent someone else losing a beloved pet) if they don't know about it.

Very sorry about your cat as well, I really hope he didn't meet the same fate.

Little_Focker

Dispicible :mad: We have 3 cats and live in the country and one sunday one of our dogs started barking as she had spotted a man walking a greyhound through the fields at the back of our house. There are millions of rabbits in the area so think he might have been after them. My first thought was "where's the cats" thankfully they were all safe in side. The farmer that owned the land went after him and obviously told him to get lost as have never seen him again thank god.

But we also had some pr!cks shoot a neighbours cat while it sat in their back garden - in broad daylight :eek: B@stards.

Gremlin

That is absolutely sickening. My blood boils just reading this. One thing that might have been useful would be to take some photos. I know it was night time and cameras on phones dont work well a night. I always keep my main camera charged and ready to go at home in case I see something I need to photo in a hurry.

You could really spook these sick scumbags if they saw some camera flashes and knew they were photographed. Also it means you don't have to approach this filth. You never know maybe they could set the dogs on you if you challenge directly.

BTW does anyone know what offence these guys are committing? Surely there must be something in the control of dogs act, also animal cruelty legislation. However in order to charge them with cruelty you'd have to prove that they caused the dogs to attach the cat. Otherwise its a small fine and a slap on the wrist for failure to control a dog.

kildare.17hmr

anniehoo wrote: »

Pedantic much? :rolleyes:

JOKE!

JimiTime

Don't worry, the neighbour will certainly be told. they are from houses in the back though, so I don't exactly know who it is that owns the cat. My next door neighbour does I think (Shes got a cat herself), but she wont be back until later. Horrible circumstance, just horrible. It would be hard to think of my cat getting hit by a car, or being caught by foxes etc. To think that people set out to deliberately kill the cat though, and in such a brutal way. Oh my blood is boiling. I was only watching on BBC news the other night about a womans cat who'd been shot throught the face with a crossbow. The cat survived, miraculously enough. Its just so anger inducing, but perplexing at the same time:mad:

I've informed the park rangers, and will call the DSPCA today too. I'll let the cats owners decide what to do in relation to the legal side, and offer my testimony if needs be. Again though, I don't see people like this getting any significant punishment. Sure they could just say that the dog got away from them.

anniehoo

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

JOKE!

So was mine :rolleyes:

Zapperzy

I'm currently lying in bed with my own cat and the thoughts of that occurring to her makes me sick. I really would love to set a pack of lions on these 2 men, and have their dogs taken off them and put with someone who actually cares for them.

As for what to do now I'd say contact the gardai, if a cat getting torn apart doesn't push them to do something then show them the law that says greyhounds must be muzzled in a public place and state you seen someone breaking the law.

Also please contact other cat owners in the area and warn them this is happening, at least if they keep the cats In at night it might prevent another thing like this occuring. If you can do it without putting yourself in danger even put up a sign in the local supermarket to warn people.

I really hope your cat didn't meet this fate. :-( These people are sick and deserve nothing short of the same treatment.

Zapperzy

Gremlin wrote: »

That is absolutely sickening. My blood boils just reading this. One thing that might have been useful would be to take some photos. I know it was night time and cameras on phones dont work well a night. I always keep my main camera charged and ready to go at home in case I see something I need to photo in a hurry.

You could really spook these sick scumbags if they saw some camera flashes and knew they were photographed. Also it means you don't have to approach this filth. You never know maybe they could set the dogs on you if you challenge directly.

BTW does anyone know what offence these guys are committing? Surely there must be something in the control of dogs act, also animal cruelty legislation. However in order to charge them with cruelty you'd have to prove that they caused the dogs to attach the cat. Otherwise its a small fine and a slap on the wrist for failure to control a dog.

Be very careful of doing that, tbh if these 2 men are capable of setting their dogs on family pets and watching them rip them apart I would be very weary of taking photos with a flash from my window. I would be very scared of them coming back to the house especially if I lived alone. As sick as this sort of thing is you really have to watch your own safety first when dealing with these sort of people.

Vel

Zapperzy wrote: »

As for what to do now I'd say contact the gardai, if a cat getting torn apart doesn't push them to do something then show them the law that says greyhounds must be muzzled in a public place and state you seen someone breaking the law.

By law, greyhounds are not required to be muzzled in a public place, they are required to be on a strong lead

Zapperzy

Vel wrote: »

By law, greyhounds are not required to be muzzled in a public place, they are required to be on a strong lead

Woops, really should get out of bed and wake up properly before posting. Is it in NI then that that law exists? I was trying to find a link to laws regarding greyhounds but can't find anything anywhere, isin't there something about walking no more than 2 or 3 at once too?

Just to note I was not implying that I think all greyhounds should be muzzled (but common sense should be applied and if the dog needs a muzzle for whatever reason then it should wear one).

sambuka41

Zapperzy wrote: »

Also please contact other cat owners in the area and warn them this is happening, at least if they keep the cats In at night it might prevent another thing like this occuring. If you can do it without putting yourself in danger even put up a sign in the local supermarket to warn people.

Yeah this is a really good idea, even if its just the few houses near you. The word might spread that way, give people a chance to protect their cats. Its so sad, theres already so many things that cat owners fear when they let the cat out theres no need for even more

toadfly

Thats horrific, that poor cat. Some people are just pure evil :mad:

Let us know what the guards do/say please?

Dyr

Zapperzy wrote: »

Woops, really should get out of bed and wake up properly before posting. Is it in NI then that that law exists? I was trying to find a link to laws regarding greyhounds but can't find anything anywhere, isin't there something about walking no more than 2 or 3 at once too?

Just to note I was not implying that I think all greyhounds should be muzzled (but common sense should be applied and if the dog needs a muzzle for whatever reason then it should wear one).

I'm pretty sure in Ireland there's a law that prevents greyhounds being trained in public places, might only be public parks though.

JimiTime

Just been onto the DSPCA there. They said that they are aware that this is going on, not just where I am. They said that because its happening at the time it is, there is nothing they can do. they said they'll make the ranger aware of it, but I said I already have. Have to say, I didn't detect any sense of urgency, but I suppose, what can be done?? They're not there all the time, so what do I expect?? I suppose they could post a warning on their website. I'll let my neighbours know about it, and I suppose we can try a safety in numbers approach. Part of me wishes I did something last night, but then again I have a pregnant wife and a child to think about too, which makes me very reluctant to approach such scum. If they'll do this to an animal, they probably wouldn't think twice about doing it to me. Its just a horrible feeling!

sambuka41

JimiTime wrote: »

Part of me wishes I did something last night, but then again I have a pregnant wife and a child to think about too, which makes me very reluctant to approach such scum. If they'll do this to an animal, they probably wouldn't think twice about doing it to me. Its just a horrible feeling!

Your right, there is only so much you can do. They are scum and you ahve to protect yourself and your family. Letting people know so they can keep their cats in, even if its just at night time is the best all round. Hopefully they'll quit if the supply of cats dry up. Its just awful to think this type of person is out there maliciously wandering around. :mad::(

Oranage2

Horrible thing though arent cats allowed out and kill wildlife? cant see how its much different TBH!

JimiTime

sambuka41 wrote: »

Your right, there is only so much you can do. They are scum and you ahve to protect yourself and your family. Letting people know so they can keep their cats in, even if its just at night time is the best all round. Hopefully they'll quit if the supply of cats dry up. Its just awful to think this type of person is out there maliciously wandering around. :mad::(

Unfortunately, there is a huge supply of rabbits in the park, and I reckon the cats are just the odd distraction. Curiosity and all that! I mean, if it was a case where the dogs were after rabbits, but they just went for the cat, they could be forgiven (As much as I'd still hold them responsible). What I witnessed though, was the owners not doing a thing, but rather standing over the dogs while the cat got ravaged. They then picked up the carcass and threw it over the fence of the park into an overgrowth. (I went over, and at first I thought the dogs had eaten it all, but then seen it over the fence.) Sorry for going on, but its really had a bigger effect on me than I could ever imagine it to have. He was a big oul cat (Affectionally called 'Cow Cat' by the neighbours due to his size and Frisian colouring), but friendly as anything. I just have visions of him lying on his back for a belly rub, tempered with an image of his dead body being tossed over the fence. Again, its just to do with the circumstances of his death. Ahhhhh, those b@stards!

Zapperzy

Oranage2 wrote: »

Horrible thing though arent cats allowed out and kill wildlife? cant see how its much different TBH!

But I don't go outside with my cat and egg her on to kill my neighbours budgie (or even any wild bird for that matter) to 'blood' her so she'l be a better racer/courser. The equivalent of what your talking about is someone letting their greyhound roam loose and it ends up attacking a cat it comes across, in this case it wasn't an accident as the result of a roaming dog, this was a deliberate action of an owner purposely letting their dog loose knowing they will chase and kill the cat. :mad:

JimiTime

Oranage2 wrote: »

Horrible thing though arent cats allowed out and kill wildlife? cant see how its much different TBH!

Troll.

JimiTime

Zapperzy wrote: »

But I don't go outside with my cat and egg her on to kill my neighbours budgie (or even any wild bird for that matter) to 'blood' her so she'l be a better racer/courser. The equivalent of what your talking about is someone letting their greyhound roam loose and it ends up attacking a cat it comes across, in this case it wasn't an accident as the result of a roaming dog, this was a deliberate action of an owner purposely letting their dog loose knowing they will chase and kill the cat. :mad:

Precisely. You wont find any criticism of the greyhound here!

Squall19

Good job on reporting that OP.

I have an 18 month male Siberian/Mal husky mix who will chase anything:D

Great dog, really good around other dogs and people, but if he see's a cat, horse, cow, lamb, basically anything he can chase he is gone like a racehorse.Though he never attacked them, just chased them around the field:D

It's not nice keeping him on the lead, but he could do serious damage to small animals, its not that he is nasty, it's just instinct, his breed trait.Greyhounds are big dogs as well and should never be free unless 100% trusted off the lead.

My boy has never attacked an other dog or anything like that but for his safety I do put a muzzle on him every time I take him out and when he is free to play with other dogs in the park, beach, etc.

I know 100% he wouldn't attack an other dogs unprovoked but you just cant take the risk of a 40kg+ dog sinking his teeth into an other dog.

He does get pretty jealous when other dogs play with his two golden retriever girlfriends so I think it is for the best, he would probably stand up for his cat friend who is in my garden every evening as well lol, I pity the greyhound that would go after that cat lol.

He got used to the muzzle in a few days, and it doesn't bother him at all.Im happy and he's happy, so I think its best, even though everyone goes to other side of the road when I coming with him, which annoys me as he like most huskies is incredibly friendly and gentle and loves a pat on the head.

I have no problem at all with a dog with hunting traits being off the lead to interact with other dogs as long as they have a muzzle on.

Traonach

Alot of hunters see cats (domestic pets or feral) as vermin and are only too happy to shoot them or get their lurchers/greyhounds kill them.

Around my house there are plenty of people lamping. They will hunt mostly after dark, so I never let my cat out after dark. My cat isn't too clever and he would make an easy kill unfortunately.

Vel

Zapperzy wrote: »

Woops, really should get out of bed and wake up properly before posting. Is it in NI then that that law exists? I was trying to find a link to laws regarding greyhounds but can't find anything anywhere, isin't there something about walking no more than 2 or 3 at once too?

Just to note I was not implying that I think all greyhounds should be muzzled (but common sense should be applied and if the dog needs a muzzle for whatever reason then it should wear one).

I'm not sure about NI to be honest. Under the Control of Dogs Act, a person shall not walk more than 6 greyhounds at any one time.

This sounds to me like a case of lamping, particularly when OP mentions the torches being shone, so rather than people 'blooding' greyhounds for training or whatever I'd say its people out with lurchers lamping rabbits and the poor unfortunate cats are getting caught up in it:( Lamping is popular with a certain community who I wouldn't fancy getting on the wrong side of. Be careful OP

Sigma Force

That's so sickening! Another reason why cat owners must keep their cats indoors or in a secure cat proof garden people need to protect their pets and allowing cats to run loose out front is heightening the risk of being attacked by a dog, other cats, kids or even adults who take a disliking to the cat or ending up under a car.

Why can't the DSPCA set something up with neighbours in the area and work with the community a bit maybe set up some cctv ..which are cheap to buy now.

JustAThought

Horrific, how sickening. Id be with Zapp on being very careful with flashes out windows; these people are criminal scum. I did something similar with delinquent kids wrecking our estate and had an enraged scumbag man complete with wifebeater string vest ensemble on my doorstep smashing at my door and screaming that he wanted the photos. Oh: and the GAURDS don't give a ¥€%}. Certainly not Malahide GAURDS.
If that was going on I'd desperately want to know so I could watch and protect my pet and keep an eye out; I like the idea of a sign in the supearket; discreet, visible and high volume traffic. I'd target other places too so the word would get out; pub, GAA club, Post Office . I wouldn't leave my name or house identifier ( the house behind me in x estate); you don't to to be a target for this kind of scum.
I hope your cat just wandered off and is OK in a loving home somewhere thinking about his past favourite family.

poconnor16

This is so upsetting to read. These people are sick! Sure the law passed way back in 1911 covers this?? Intentional cruelty to animals? I'm sure it does, so the gardai CAN do something. Of course, they need to be cuaght in the act....

OP....spread the word to as many in your locale as possible to look out for this and keep their cats in, protect them. These guys would probably do this to smaller dogs as well and are capable of anything.

Call the gardai anytime you see something suspect....I'm almost sure that they have to check it out by law.

Do you have a local animal rescue organisation? Do they have a Facebook page? I'm sure they would be more than happy to spread the word as well.

FastFuse

JimiTime, can you tell us the area where this happened? While I understand you may not want to reveal personal information you could post the general area so that other cat/pet owners can remain vigilant.

Lexii307

We have 5 cats at home. 1 is a pet the others are wild. My family always had cats and most of the neighbours do aswell. I live in a farming area where everone knows each other well. We always have some incident where a rogue dog has killed something but never a cat. My old dog of 18 years was acused of killing sheep and a farmer (whos not very nice, to say the least) showed up to kill him. Luckily he was in the back garden. Anyway im not fond of cats but id never do that. My dogs love our cat. Clearly these people dont care and i hope they get cought. It would be nice for the dogs to go to someone loving but if they were being tought to kill i doubt its likely. Moral of the story, gather evidence and bring them to justice. Thats just sick!!! :mad:

Gremlin

JustAThought wrote: »

Horrific, how sickening. Id be with Zapp on being very careful with flashes out windows; these people are criminal scum. I did something similar with delinquent kids wrecking our estate and had an enraged scumbag man complete with wifebeater string vest ensemble on my doorstep smashing at my door and screaming that he wanted the photos. Oh: and the GAURDS don't give a ¥€%}. Certainly not Malahide GAURDS.

Fair point. I guess it comes down to the individual circumstances and the your ability to deal with the consequences, I really hope I never see this sort of thing because I'm pretty sure anger would get the better of me and I'm not normally an angry person.

JimiTime

FastFuse wrote: »

JimiTime, can you tell us the area where this happened? While I understand you may not want to reveal personal information you could post the general area so that other cat/pet owners can remain vigilant.

Corkagh Park, Clondalkin.

FastFuse

Thanks. Not too far from me (Lucan) but my cats don't venture beyond my back yard. I'll let those I know locally with pets know.

kildare.17hmr

Zapperzy wrote: »

But I don't go outside with my cat and egg her on to kill my neighbours budgie (or even any wild bird for that matter) to 'blood' her so she'l be a better racer/courser. The equivalent of what your talking about is someone letting their greyhound roam loose and it ends up attacking a cat it comes across, in this case it wasn't an accident as the result of a roaming dog, this was a deliberate action of an owner purposely letting their dog loose knowing they will chase and kill the cat. :mad:

A person who lets a cat out to roam free and thinks they are not going to kill is walking around with blinkers on or living in a dream world, they just choose to ignore it for the most part.

Squall19 wrote: »

Good job on reporting that OP.

I have an 18 month male Siberian/Mal husky mix who will chase anything:D

Great dog, really good around other dogs and people, but if he see's a cat, horse, cow, lamb, basically anything he can chase he is gone like a racehorse.Though he never attacked them, just chased them around the field:D

It's not nice keeping him on the lead, but he could do serious damage to small animals, its not that he is nasty, it's just instinct, his breed trait.Greyhounds are big dogs as well and should never be free unless 100% trusted off the lead.

My boy has never attacked an other dog or anything like that but for his safety I do put a muzzle on him every time I take him out and when he is free to play with other dogs in the park, beach, etc.

I know 100% he wouldn't attack an other dogs unprovoked but you just cant take the risk of a 40kg+ dog sinking his teeth into an other dog.

He does get pretty jealous when other dogs play with his two golden retriever girlfriends so I think it is for the best, he would probably stand up for his cat friend who is in my garden every evening as well lol, I pity the greyhound that would go after that cat lol.

He got used to the muzzle in a few days, and it doesn't bother him at all.Im happy and he's happy, so I think its best, even though everyone goes to other side of the road when I coming with him, which annoys me as he like most huskies is incredibly friendly and gentle and loves a pat on the head.

I have no problem at all with a dog with hunting traits being off the lead to interact with other dogs as long as they have a muzzle on.

you are just as bad as the people the op is talking about, your husky chases anything including horses, cows and lambs and you put in a smiley face???? most of the damage done by dogs to livestock is not the dog biting and killing it is by chasing, the lamb or cow will run into a fence or a wall and die, if they are lucky, i have seen sheep that have been run into fences hours before i got there and are still alive in agony and iv had to put them down, iv also had to shoot a dog who was worrying sheep constantly because the owner thought it a great idea to let the dog out to walk its self every evening, theyended up wit a dead dog and a bill for 3 sheep it had killed. Just so you know a farmer or someone shooting for a farmer would be well within their rights to shoot your dog for chasing their livestock and as for horses, i wouldnt like to be picking up the bill if my dog ran one of them into a wall

doctor evil

Oranage2 wrote: »

Horrible thing though arent cats allowed out and kill wildlife? cant see how its much different TBH!

I get what you are sayig Oragage2 but I also get that peeps on this forum will be offended about how it is said.

Every owner knows that if they let their cat out it is only a matter of time before it hunts. I have retrieved many a (live) mouse or injured bird from being tosssed in the air. Our current cat is allowed out but is kept in at night, not allowed out at dawn or dusk. If it wasn't my parents house he would be an indoors cat.

It is not right to let dogs roam, in some ways I think cats can be considered almost second class as people can be flippant about letting them out.

doctor evil

Traonach wrote: »

Alot of hunters see cats (domestic pets or feral) as vermin and are only too happy to shoot them or get their lurchers/greyhounds kill them.

Around my house there are plenty of people lamping. They will hunt mostly after dark, so I never let my cat out after dark. My cat isn't too clever and he would make an easy kill unfortunately.

Conservationists/bird watchers/gardeners can also see cats as a nuisance.

They can be a big problem in places like Australia/New Zealand. Even to our own song birds they are a threat.

doctor evil

Squall19 wrote: »

I have an 18 month male Siberian/Mal husky mix who will chase anything:D

Great dog, really good around other dogs and people, but if he see's a cat, horse, cow, lamb, basically anything he can chase he is gone like a racehorse.Though he never attacked them, just chased them around the field:D

It's not nice keeping him on the lead, but he could do serious damage to small animals, its not that he is nasty, it's just instinct, his breed trait.Greyhounds are big dogs as well and should never be free unless 100% trusted off the lead.

My boy has never attacked an other dog or anything like that but for his safety I do put a muzzle on him every time I take him out and when he is free to play with other dogs in the park, beach, etc.

I know 100% he wouldn't attack an other dogs unprovoked but you just cant take the risk of a 40kg+ dog sinking his teeth into an other dog.

He does get pretty jealous when other dogs play with his two golden retriever girlfriends so I think it is for the best, he would probably stand up for his cat friend who is in my garden every evening as well lol, I pity the greyhound that would go after that cat lol.

He got used to the muzzle in a few days, and it doesn't bother him at all.Im happy and he's happy, so I think its best, even though everyone goes to other side of the road when I coming with him, which annoys me as he like most huskies is incredibly friendly and gentle and loves a pat on the head.

I have no problem at all with a dog with hunting traits being off the lead to interact with other dogs as long as they have a muzzle on.

Just chasing stock alone causes injury, even chasing birds in the cold weather we had is a no no as it uses up valuable energy the birds need to keep warm.

Your dog is in danger of being shot if you allow him to continue to chase stock, even if he doesn't get shot a kick from a horse can break his neck. You will be the one responsible for this.

sambuka41

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

you are just as bad as the people the op is talking about, your husky chases anything including horses, cows and lambs and you put in a smiley face????

Maybe i misread the post from Squall19 but it seems as though they are aware of their dogs tendency to do this and for that reason he/she is not letting them off the lead, or allowing them to interact with other dogs without a muzzle.

It doesn't seem to me that they are condoning the behaviour just stating that their dog likes chasing anything (as do most dogs in fairness)

As regards the issue with the wildlife I suppose the difference is that they are not seen as pets, they are wild birds. So people naturally wont get as upset about a cat killing a magpie as they do if a dog kills someones pet cat. (I am not saying this is right, just explaining why people react in this way)

Discodog

The OP needs to report the matter formally to the Guards & insist on action. If no action is taken then report the matter to the Garda Ombudsman.

The owners of the Greyhounds have committed an act of cruelty by causing unnecessary suffering to the cat.

They have committed an offence by failing to keep their dogs under control.

They probably don't have the landowners permission to hunt so they are also trespassing.

I would also make the landowner fully aware of the situation.

lrushe

Discodog wrote: »

They probably don't have the landowners permission to hunt so they are also trespassing.

I would also make the landowner fully aware of the situation.

It's a public park so I would be making the park rangers aware if it.

JimiTime

doctor evil wrote: »

I get what you are sayig Oragage2 but I also get that peeps on this forum will be offended about how it is said.

Every owner knows that if they let their cat out it is only a matter of time before it hunts. I have retrieved many a (live) mouse or injured bird from being tosssed in the air. Our current cat is allowed out but is kept in at night, not allowed out at dawn or dusk. If it wasn't my parents house he would be an indoors cat.

It is not right to let dogs roam, in some ways I think cats can be considered almost second class as people can be flippant about letting them out.

TBH, if the cat got mauled by a fox or knocked down by a car, it would be one of those things. The foxes have a big supply of wildlife in the park, and nature takes its course. Cat owners know the dangers their animals face and with a cat, you don't put it on a lead and take it to the park, so you tend to let it out.
The issue here is the PEOPLE involved. The fact that two people set their dogs on a domestic cat, someones pet, and watched as they tore it apart. I told a lot of people about this incident now, and was horrified at some of the stories I got in return. One person i know in Ballyfermot had their Yorkshire terrier lifted from their front garden by some druggies and thrown to some pitbulls in a garden further down the road. They all watched laughing as the terrier was ripped apart. I just can't understand the mentality.

JimiTime

Ok, these b@stards were back last night, but this time it was only 10.30 at night. And once again, they set their dogs on one of the local domestic cats, but this time it was just sitting in the front garden of a neighbours. Myself and the neighbour went out this time and went for them and they ran leaving us to throw kicks and punches at their dogs so that they'd release the cat they were mauling:mad: Then from the distance in the park, they whistled and the dogs followed. Neighbour rang Police, and they didn't want to know. 'Ah, sure they could be anywhere around the park now' was the response. I really lament the apathy. Next time you hear the Garda rhetoric of 'Don't be a have a go hero', the response should be, 'Well we wouldn't have to, if you'd just do your flippin Job without making us feel like we're disturbing you!!'

Cat is ok btw, but will need a visit to the vet to tend to the wounds.:mad:

Discodog

You & your neighbour need to visit the Guards together & insist on speaking to the Superintendent. Make it clear that you intend to report the matter to the Garda Ombudsman.

angelfire9

OP go to your local Garda Station ask to speak to the Sergeant in Charge (I don't know why everyone automatically says talk to the Super the Sgt is far more accessible)
Tell the IC that you rang last night to report a crime in its commission and the SO (officer who answered the phone) didn't give a damn
Tell him to sort it out or you will be going to the media
Tell him you want an increased Garda presence in your area til these scum are caught and if you don't see the Gardai being proactive in dealing with this problem that your next port of call will be the Ombudsman

Regardless of a person's opinion on crime and notwithstanding the fact that Clondalkin Gardai probably deal with alot of serious crimes every day, this was reported while it was happening and there is no excuse for them not dealing with it

Discodog

angelfire9 wrote: »

OP go to your local Garda Station ask to speak to the Sergeant in Charge (I don't know why everyone automatically says talk to the Super the Sgt is far more accessible)

I would always insist on a Super because it shows that you are serious. I would also copy the complaint in the form of a letter. I suspect that the Sgt may just tell one of lads to call in & pacify the OP.

Gardai have to start taking animal welfare issues seriously & also show that they will investigate all matters regardless of the "social status" of the alleged offenders.

Hundreds of horses were abandoned last winter - have there been any Garda prosecutions ?