Wandering dogs are killing wandering cats. It is all our fault. How do we feel about causing this pain and distress?
It does not matter on which side of the Atlantic you live, feral dogs or wandering domesticate dogs, are a danger to outdoor cats, including, of course, feral cats. But how big a problem is it?
We hear a lot about feral cats and the “health hazard” they represent to us but I don’t recall seeing much about feral dogs and the ongoing raw danger they represent to people and their outdoor cat companions.
The problem of roaming feral dogs, or domesticated but out-of-control dogs, killing cats and being a danger to people appears to occur with similar regularity in the UK and USA based on press reports but that is misleading. The law in the UK curbs irresponsible dog ownership.
There was a recent case in Cleveland, USA. It is not known if the dogs are truly feral or wandering pets.
In attacks that occurred in Cleveland, Ohio, a pack of three or four dogs were the culprits. They roamed and killed – we are told 15 cats so far. They killed cats without an apparent motivation to eat but simply to kill. One of the cats was living in a shelter and was dragged from it and killed. The dogs appear to be well fed and outdoor domestic dogs. They were a variety of breeds: Doberman and Labrador for example.
In a similar story across the pond, also from October 2014, a pack of three “wild dogs” have been roaming around the town of Strood in Kent, UK. One resident said the dogs looked like hyenas. She was referring to the coloring and markings. They are much smaller than a hyena. They are probably more like the African wild dog. These dogs appear to be genuinely feral and I wonder if they are African wild dogs.
You only need to watch the first 30 seconds on this video to see the dogs but the attack on a cat takes place towards the end I believe:
The same gang of canine killers had killed earlier. The first attack was on a black cat named Coco, a much loved companion. In all, seven cats have been killed on this housing estate.
“Coco was a one in a million cat who we’ll miss so much. They (the dogs) may well go for a child if they are hungry enough – they pose a big threat.” (Amanda Tye, 32, Coco’s owner).
On both occasions the authorities did not find the dogs to capture them. This is probably one of the problems: how to track the dogs down, capture and if necessary euthanise. Then there is the wider issue of stopping these events happening through improving dog ownership.
The problem as I see it a double whammy: irresponsible cat and dog ownership. All cats should be kept in until the problem is resolved.
Thanks Geri for clearing that up 😉 . It must be a tricky for you sometimes being a modern day witch. Some people will be interested and like it but others might be a bit scared of you and become defensively aggressive towards you. The word “witch” still carries ideas going back to medieval times.
The incident with the cat in the drive was before the laws{1986} were changed to include roaming cats.At that time it was legal for cats to roam as it was considered the cats nature,about 5 years after that the laws were changed.The neighbor was not so concerned about the cat as he did not like me because I was a witch. So,he would get at me through the cat. It was only that one cat that would go there in the shaded area of the concrete drive.Just like every Halloween he would call up saying I was sacrificing cats and AC would come out like a SWAT team. Year after year the same cats would be seen. Finally,the one woman wrote him off as a nuisance caller. As Dee said,in Marion County,Fl. Dog attacks out here are common,but usually unreported as the owners suddenly claim the dog is not their dog.Unless a child or elderly person is injured not much is reported.And when it is reported,even if you can locate the owner,most AC will just tell the owner to keep the dog under control,unless someone presses the issue. .articles;
http://www.ocala.com/article/20100529/articles/5291013 /http://www.cunninghampilaw.com/blog/dog-bites/orange-county-man-kills-pit-bull-after-witnessing-attack-on-pet/
http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2013.php/
On my property I can shoot the dog.They are in my yard taking the cats.The cats were not off the property,they were in the backyard.I never said I would leave my property.The neighbor saw them carting away one of the cats,running down the road.Every incident I speak of was ON MY PROPERTY. The dogs do not belong there.The dogs come from down around the bend.If an animal is on your property,threatening you or your animals,you can shoot them. They have to be threatening.Yet,AC allows people to shoot cats if they wander through the yard.And no one was ever under attack by the cat walking through the yard.I checked on cats attacking people,stray or feral,no stats,none reported.Even when the cats were in the enclosure,dogs dug under the door area and slaughtered those cats.Just like when dogs attacked the horses. Was I supposed to stand there and let them tear up my horses? Or the children in the yard when they were young?This is not 2 or 3 incidents,this is 2 or 3 a year for 30 years. So,trap the dogs so they can live and do the same again,dog owner goes unpunished,meanwhile there are dead cats.The rights of dogs trump the lives of cats again.That is not reasonable to me.I just don’t have the stomach anymore to be out there trying to beat off dogs with a broomstick while the cat is torn to pieces.Shooting the dogs will not bring the cats back,but there will be peace knowing they will not be back to kill again. There are many dogs that come by here,but they do not attack. I usually give them a “cookie” and send them home. It is not about killing dogs because they exist,it is about protecting the cats from viscious dogs.
Michael, Geri lives in my county, Marion County Florida, but in the National Forest area. You know the Marion County rules now. No free-roaming cats. Her cat cannot be sleeping on someone else’s property at all.
It seems a little different in the Forest for some, but
the laws are the same.
Geri, you seem to know quite a lot about dogs and attacks by dogs on cats etc.. How common is it in the USA or at least where you live? I am sorry but I have forgotten in which part of the US you live. I ask because your neighbour complained about your cat sleeping in his driveway. To Europeans that is very strange. It would not cause a person to even think about it as a problem let alone something to complain about in Europe or at least the UK.
You were very gutsy to pull your gun out on an AC 😉 It’s war!
I get it, Geri. I really do.
But, you cannot shoot a dog that is off your property, regardless if he has a cat in his mouth. The law will not be on your side. Your cat cannot be free-roaming off your property in this county. You will be cited and fined; and you will be jailed if you shoot a dog off your propeerty.
I know that life seems a little different in the forest; but, the rules are the same for you and me.
Keep the traps, equip them with fresh meat, (ie. ground beef, chicken parts, even tuna) dump any cat or friendly dog out, and wait.
Also, let your idiot dog neighbors know that you are trapping “killer dogs”. Post signs if need be in front of your home, along your road, and at the end of your road.