Cat mauled to death by hunt dogs

Published Monday, 06 February 2012

A Co Down woman whose pet cat was savaged by a pack of fox hounds at the weekend says her heart is broken.

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Sophie, who was seven, was attacked by the hunt in the back garden of her owner's home in Kircubbin on Saturday.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has lived in the house since April - she says she has never seen a hunt on the land behind her house.

"I heard dogs barking in the field at the back of the house and I also saw a man on a horse in a red jacket looking into the garden," she told UTV.

"There were about 10 dogs and more fighting to get in."

One of the woman's other five cats was able to leap a fence to safety - but Sophie, who was in the cat house, could not get away.

Despite her best efforts, the owner was not able to rescue her pet.

She continued: "I got in amongst the dogs and was doing my best to try and get Sophie out but it didn't seem to matter what I did, I couldn't save my poor cat.

"I did manage to get her body from the dogs eventually but by that point she was dead.

"I was very distressed. Then the man in the red jacket and another person from the hunt appeared in the back garden. I really can't remember the conversation from that point."

A spokesman for the hunt says they were devastated by what happened and are taking it very seriously.

He says in future home owners will be made aware of any hunts near them.

Brain Wilson, a former Green Party MLA who tried to introduce legislation to outlaw foxhunting, says a ban needs to happen sooner rather than later.

"People in Northern Ireland support the abolition of fox hunting but the situation is that MLAs do not take the decision to ban it," he told UTV.

"It's banned in the rest of the UK and we are 20 years behind them. This has been going on for years and it is time we got up to date."

Sophie's owner says police are aware of the situation.

Comments

46 Comments

Rosey in County Antrim wrote (102 days ago):

Andy - I'm not sure you will get this comment as the commenting section and archiving of material on the UTV website does not allow conversations to continue organically for longer than they are at the top of the latest news pile -- but the lady that owns the horse, that I know, gets benefits. How much or what for, I don't know. She it a full-time mum. Her husband is a plumber. They have a modest income and they have a horse. Not everyone on benefits in UK/Northern Ireland is a scum bag or drug addict. She chooses to spend £40 per week on livery for her horse. She doesn't smoke or drink alcohol. She is entitled to spend her money however she likes, she is obviously entitled to it and has been means tested. If she spent £40 a week on fags (20 a day habit), you wouldn't bat an eyelid!

Matt in Eire wrote (103 days ago):

Sorry this lady's cat got killed but at least it was a swift death, unlike the torture and devastation that domestic cats visit on wildlife and this lady has anothe five cats! I bet there isn't so much as a starling within a mile-radius of her house. Calling for a ban on hunting is completely over the top and this entire affair is a tempest in a teacup. Clearly the NI "meeja" need to rationalise/scale back now that the "troubles" seem to be over.

Frosty in Here wrote (104 days ago):

Sorry John, but democracy has been forced upon us, it is the tyranny of the majority, led by the self-proclaimed elite, same way we have forced our (human) "civilisation" onto the rest of the world. I've only ever seen a fox a few times, in towns and in Belfast even, they are having to encroach on our world as we increasingly encroach on theirs. Why not just wipe foxes out altogether if they're that much of a menace to society? Am sure there are more humane ways to kill it than attack it with a pack of dogs. Oh I forgot, it's the thrill of the chase isn't it? Well let them mount up and chase after an ice cream van, more money than sense the lot of them, including a sense of decency and fair play. And these are the ones who run the country! How many in the hunt were over from the mainland? Can't help but feel Northern Ireland is their loophole to continued abuse. People who go to cock fights, badger baiting, hare coursing etc get a thrill out of it so, by your reasoning, should they be legalised again as sports too? Only fair, isn't it? Why should only the toffs have all the sadistic fun?

john in portadown wrote (104 days ago):

terrible the wee womans cat got killed but cant ban hunting over that,if people want to hunt they should have the right to after all it is meant to be a democracy we live in.if you dont like hunting dont hunt,its as simple as that.dont force your views on other people.it would be a boring world if we were all the same..

ali in bangor wrote (104 days ago):

Because, James... a woman in her forties had to try and fend off more than 10 vicious hounds in her own back garden!! It's wrong and should never happen in such an uncontrolled way. It's been publicized to create awareness so that maybe these hunts can be regulated, to try and prompt change by the vote and view of the general public, to make the huntsmen perhaps plan better. Anything really to create change!

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