A devastated family have described their horror after watching their beloved cat ‘torn apart’ by two ‘wild’ dogs.
Lucy-Lou was mauled to death at a beauty spot near the family’s home on Buckfast Close on the Bollingbrook estate.
Sarah and Tim Walton said two dogs attacked the cat on grass next to the River Bollin at around 2pm on July 25.
Tim, 45, watched as the tragedy unfolded and desperately tried to intervene only to be attacked by the dogs himself.
Eventually, the animals were scared off, but nothing could be done to save Lucy-Lou.
Now the couple, who have four children aged 12 to 20, have pleaded for dog owners to keep control of their pets. Sarah, 36, said: “Lucy-Lou was a beautiful, kind-natured cat who was very well loved. She had been with us for five years and was like the baby of our family. My children are all devastated.
“Everyone in the area knew her. She was popular with the neighbours and would follow them to the shops. She loved the attention.
“She was sat on the edge of the Bollin sunning herself when two dogs came from nowhere. There was no sign of the owner. They cornered Lucy-Lou and attacked her. It was a horror show.
“Tim ran over to try and stop them but when he got near the dogs went for him.
“He had to shout and shout until they let her go and ran off into the Bollin.”
The couple have mentioned incident to the Countryside Ranger Service.
Lucy-Lou was buried in the family’s back garden.
Tim said they felt compelled to speak up because of their fear the dogs could attack again.
He said: “Our worry is that those dogs were dangerous, running wild and out of control. The next time it could be a child, which doesn’t bear thinking about.”
It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control. The law states that a dog is considered out of control if it injures someone, makes them worried that it might injure them, or if it injures someone’s animal.
You can be fined up to £5,000 and/or sent to prison for up to six months if convicted by a court of having a dog dangerously out of control. You may also be banned from owning dogs in the future and the dog could be destroyed.
If you let your dog injure someone you can be sent to prison for up to five years. If you allow your dog to kill someone you can be sent to prison for up to 14 years.
A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “The law places the onus on a dog owner to ensure that their dog is under control.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101.
