I think it was the carelessness of the greyhounds owner thats led this to happen, the poor greyhound hasn't done anything wrong. Its only done whats its probably been taught to do since a young age.

I was quite confused by this story.  I can't see the relevance of the fact that the owner of the cats live in a middle class suburb where they had coffee mornings!  What has that got to do with the fact that one of her cats was killed and the other horribly injured.  It is very bad publicity for the greyhounds, that's for sure.  But we must all realise that their is a food chain.  It is possible tha the dog was just doing what it had been trained to do by a previous owner. 

My cat, who died a few years ago was very good at catching mice and birds.  In fact one day he dragged a wood pidgeon across the road, as it was too heavy to carry.  I left him to it, as I had learned over the years that when I took the prey off him it did not survive due to the shock or injuries received in the initial catch. In fact one mouse I took from him spent a terrible few hours dragging itself about my back patio.  It was only put out of it's misery when my husband came home!  All very distressing, not least for my husband who had the awful task. It is a fact of life that some dogs will go after cats and most cats will hunt birds and mice.

I know that this took place in the lady's own home, and that is just awful.  But the blame lies with the greyhounds owner and the people who had programmed it to have such a high prey instinct.

I hope that this lady and her son will come to terms with their loss.  My boys were devasted when our cat Smudge died.  And I dread to think what my life will be like one day without my beloved Amber.  I also hope that this article will not put back the efforts of organisations such as GAL. I do not own a greyhound but have spent many hours so far with them and have found them on the whole to be very loving and gentle.  Although I admit that to date my experience is very limited.

Joyce

-- Edited by Ambers Mo at 19:08, 2006-10-11

As soon as I read this article , the first thing that struck me was the woman was a "nutter"

All this story about her bringing up her son on her own and the well to do area she lives in, has nothing to do with the awful tragedy that happened.  I do not see the relevance!!    She obviously has a huge chip on her shoulder. 

What happened was absolutely terrible.  Quite sickening. I love cats just as much as I love all dogs.  Yes, my cats are also natural born killers.  I still hate it when they kill some poor wee creature.    With hindsight it may have been prevented with the repair of the hole in the fence, that is the owners responsibility, 

I have had a similar problem recently with an irresponsible owner.   I live in a Gatehouse or Lodge to a Country Estate.    A neighbour who lives in a cottage in the Estate, frequently looks after her daughters staffie cross.  I have known her for 10 years now and we got on well.  She continually refuses to put her daughters dog on a lead when passing my house.  It chases my cats every time it stays with her.  My old cats are usually sitting around the front minding their own business when it strikes.  Over the years we have asked her several times ( politely) to control the dog. She is stubborn!!  We had a huge falling out last week when it nearly caught one of my cats, I had just had enough by this time.  I tore strips off her!!  I have been too polite in the past!!  Anyway, now we are on nodding terms only, but the dog is on the lead!!!!  Again, I do not blame the dog. it is actually a real wee pet, I blame the owner. 

So, getting back to the article, I can really sympathise with what happened to these poor cats,  I would also be devasted,  but she has not done herself any favours at all, It is just so sad that Greyhounds may now get bad press.   

 

I have just read this article and although i can totally understand the authors devastation at witnessing such a thing, i am in the same mind as moptop : 'As soon as I read this article , the first thing that struck me was the woman was a "nutter"

I am left a bit confused by it to be honest. I dont know if shes moving because of what happened to her cat or the fact that her neighbours ignored her cries for help. she also says that she didn't want the police to prosecute the owners but slates them anyway. The article jumps back and forward and at times is totally irrelevant, i am also suprised that it managed to get published at all.

I also wonder what happened to the dog? The owners certainly should be held responsible for this but as usual it'll be the dog that gets the brunt of it.

I actually wish I hadn't read that article, because it's made me furious. I am sick fed up of hearing about how cats are victims. Cats kill. They do it everyday. They don't discriminate.

It was wrong that the owners of the dog didn't have it under control, but I seriously doubt the dog ran through her house "salivating and urinating".

And I have to say, from experience, cats can handle themselves. And what happened to that woman's cats was no worse than the pain and suffering her cats have doubtlessly caused to countless birds, mice, insects, other cats and animals.

Since this is the topic of cat/dog horror stories, I have a shocking one of my own. When I was walking my dogs (on their leads) home one Saturday afternoon, a cat started running after us. Bearing in mind I was walking with two Greyhounds, neither of whom are catsafe, and both of whom I diligently keep under control at all times - I have never had a casualty from my dogs catching anything. The cat started to gain on us, so I moved out onto the road and started to run - how ridiculous must that have looked, six foot woman with two enormous Greyhounds running from a long-haired little female cat. Eventually the cat caught up with us and starting growling and showing its teeth. I pulled my dogs behind my legs and screamed at the cat, but of course cats don't listen to people in the same way dogs do, and it launched itself into the air, biting into Lizzie's cheek and grabbing into her neck with all four feet.

I stupidly pulled at my dogs yelling at them to stop, when all that was happening was that I was standing in the middle of a road whilst a cat was ripping a hole in the side of my dog's mouth. Billy suddenly jerked forwards, wrapping his lead around my legs and almost tripping me up, and he grabbed the cat's back end. He pulled the cat off of Lizzie and threw it across the street, causing it to bounce off the road a few times before hitting the opposite pavement. I then (again, like an idiot) started towards the cat to make sure it was alright - big mistake, as it got right back up and charged forwards, going under Lizzie and biting into her stomach. Lizzie started to scream, her tail between her legs, writhing about in pain and confusion. Billy (who is very gentle and docile by nature and usually ignores cats unless they are running) moved to grab the cat again. Unfortunately, Billy was too slow.

The cat leapt at Billy's face, its front feet hooking into one side of his face, its back feet into the other. It opened its mouth out wide and bit down into his cheek, and then began raking at his face with its feet. With Lizzie crying and bleeding and finally subdued at my side, I started trying to grab the cat to make it stop. To my horror, Billy opened his mouth, the cat's torso moving into his jaws as it raked furiously at his skin, and he bit down. The bite wasn't hard, and the cat didn't stop - but Billy bit harder, the cat's skin and fur cover his nose and muzzle. Billy shook his head from side to side, and eventually the cat let go, again bouncing along the road.

Relieved at the temporary respite from a horrid ordeal that was lightning fast, and yet seemed to be playing out in slow motion, I wound the dogs' leads around my hands and started to run again. But the cat attacked again.

I had taken only a few steps when the cat got hold of Billy's hind leg. Billy was bloodied and irate, and he shook his head, slipping his collar, and rounded on the cat, which then fled. Billy took off after the cat, disappearing up a driveway. I screamed his name, trying to drag the injured and terrified Lizzie with me, screaming so loud and hard my throat and chest hurt for two days. Up the driveway I could see Billy in the back garden of the house fighting with the cat, and looking as though he was about to kill it.

At this point, a man came running up to me, and I expected the worst - after all, if you had witnessed the above, what would you think other than "stupid girl who can't control her dangerous black dogs?" I started squealing out incoherently at him, pleading with him not to fight with me because the cat had chased and attacked my dogs, not the other way around. To my relief, he assured me it would be alright, and that he had come to help me get Billy back. Weak and shaking all over, I watched him go into the back garden and open the gate. Billy came trotting back through, his "sorry mum I was bad" face on. I put his lead back on and began inspecting his teeth and claws. I told the man it was okay, Billy's teeth and claws were clean, he had not hurt the cat. Unfortunately, Billy and Lizzie were so badly hurt, they still have scars and bald patches to this day, some 4 months after the event.

A woman appeared asking me something about a Jack Russell that I did not hear at first, and then a second woman appeared, who told me that she and the man who had recovered Billy were the owners of the cat. They told me the cat liked to attack dogs, and that they had seen it draw blood from several other dogs. They blamed the local council for not fixing a hole in a nearby fence, and seemed completely unfazed by the whole ordeal - the woman even began calling her cat back over. The woman who had asked about the Jack Russell told us the psychotic cat had attacked her little JRT in its own back garden, and the dog has needed 16 stitches, and still the owners of the cat didn't care.

I have since spoken to several other dog owners who have suffered attacks from this cat. This is an evil animal, and because of the way the law works, the owners aren't obliged to stop its little rampage of assault. Having never really been a cat person, this really was the last straw for me. I now have to carry a water pistol when I walk, and I walk in fear of this cat. Lizzie, who was tolerant of cats, is now terrified of them, and displays extreme fear aggression towards them. She pulls on her lead and growls at areas she has seen cats in previously, and walking for me has generally become far less pleasent.

Incidentally, for the benefit of the woman who wrote that article, I live in a middle class suburb, and the street I was walking through has a few Mercedes cars, and possible even coffee mornings - the owners of the cat were executives at a large oil company.

</rant>

I have to say that I agree with Motop that the woman seems to have gone completly over the top.Yes it is terrible what hapened and yes she should be able to open her doors and let in the fresh air , and yes the owner of the grey should have been more responsible and had a muzzle on it and fixed the fence, but what the hell has the middle class, raising her son alone etc got to do with it, what a palaver. She went to such length about the do and dont,s to turn round and say she did not want the owner charged, how bizzare, why did she even bother writing the article. It would seem this was more a case of look at POOR ME , and the incident have gave her a chance to lash out at society in general, what a load of garbage. This could have been any type of dog doing what comes natural it just so happens to have been a grey, and it is sad what happened to the cats but what makes her think that moving home will change things, this woman needs to get life (or a man) as she seems to be rather frustrated, how sad.

As for your tale Lucretia, nothing would surprise me about cats ( and I have kept cats and do like them) it is shocking what happened to you and your dogs and for the woman to know her cat is capable of this and still allow it carte blanc to walk the streets beggers belief, the cat should be kept indoors as a house cat and not allowed to wander and attack. The law allows the right of roaming for cats, is this wise in such a case. My sister once had a cat that would attack a any given time and it did not matter if your were child or adult it would jump on your back, trip you on the stairs, and bite when ever it felt like it. We as dog owners must control our dogs and all times why cannot be the same for every type of animal that can go out in public. If I knew of a cat that was capable of attacking as Lucretia,s was I would report it and expect and insist that the SSPCA have a word with her about controling her cat. Nora

I have to agree with Lorna I find the quote "Those who prosper feel the need to foster the less fortunate, be it human or animal. They want to make it better, share their good life, assuage their guilt for being comfortable. But at what price? A life; two lives; more?" !!! upsetting. I am close friends with a (child) foster carer and the thought that someone thinks that children (or animals) can be left in horrific situations is shocking.

She and her cats should have been safe in their own home it was a terrible thing and should never have happend. I keep thinking what would I feel like if it were me. I don't blame her for writing the story she has every right to feel angry but the Herald should have seeked the other side of the story and removed the above quote as it has no relevance and is deeply offensive to most.

I hope she meets a grey in different circumstances and sees the animals for the loving trusting soles they really are.

-- Edited by Amanda at 16:22, 2006-10-13

Slippy wrote:

---

Despite the evocative language used in the article I have a lot of sympathy with this woman. There is NO excuse for a greyhound owner letting the dog loose in a garden with a hole in the fence, regardless of whose responsibility the fence repair, is when they knew cats were living next door. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a greyhound charge into your house and kill your cat in front of you. Ghastly. There is no defense that can be put up for the owners of the said greyhound. It is not the dog's fault - it is theirs.

---

Couldn't agree more, Slippy.  While I take the point of some of the other posters, I really don't think that attacking the writer is the way to go, and I hope the official GAL response (if there is one) doesn't take this tack.   The woman has every right to be horrified and the fact that her letter seems a bit confused is neither here nor there. 

 

 

-- Edited by Calatria at 15:10, 2006-10-13

In my humble opinion - thats a pretty good reply by the SSPCA.

Being new to having a greyhound I read the original artical with utter horror.. I have 3 cats and love em to bits. I understand the outrage and anguish of the woman who lost her cat so horribly. I do think certain parts of her artical were fiction - but all stories "gain a bit" with frequent telling... The press do love a gory story though!

As a "Cat Person" who has seen the light I find her comments regarding Greyhounds understandable but not neccessarily forgivable. Having said that - right now I have "a thing" about Black Labs and their owners. Why when I ask them to keep their dogs away from Speedy's bum do they ignore me? His stitches look terrible - he doesnt need an overweight Black Lab nose anywhere near them!

I also feel for the owner of the Grey - yes they were stupid not to mend the fence but they had no idea that the result would be so dreadfull. We all have little jobs around the house that need fixing but many people have no idea how to use a hammer - never mind the inclination to pick one up! I make a living out of doing handywork and it never ceases to amaze me what people put up with for years before calling out someone like myself.

Ho Hum. No winners in this situation - Just losers..

Claire

Excellent response by the SSPCA - very fairminded, understadning the distress of the cat's owner and placing the blame fairly and squarely where it belongs with the dog owners.

Doreen Graham of the SSPCA states in her article in The Herald that "Any organisation rehoming a greyhound will inform the new owner of all their wonderful character traits and the area where care must be taken......"

The SSPCA rehome many greyhounds and, unless they have changed their policy, do not practice what they preach in all of their centres!

I can only hope that they have recently changed their policy when rehoming greyhounds/lurchers and that all of their centres now do indeed practice what they preach for the sake of the greyhounds!

Otherwise, it was a good response.

Hazel.