Sunderland cat owner left 'heartbroken' as she warns others after kitten dies following alleged dog attack

Katie Waters, 36, from Hetton has set out to warn other pet owners after her one-year-old kitten, Izzy was reportedly attacked by a dog.

Katie, who works as a senior client coordinator, was tracked down via a Facebook group after a resident had found the cat dead near a tree behind Eppleton Cricket Club.

After taking Izzy to the vets, Katie was told her kitten had suffered a ‘huge amount’ of trauma to her body and it was likely that she had been killed by a dog.

After her cat’s tragic death, the 36-year-old is now appealing for information from anybody who may have witnessed the suspected attack on Monday, November 8 between 9am and 2.45pm.

She said: “I am so grateful for the people who found Izzy and contacted me but I am so angry and upset that somebody’s dog may have done this to her and the owner just left her to die, she was wearing a purple collar so it was obvious she was a pet which makes it all the more sad.

"The vet told me that it will have happened quickly but she suffered serious injuries – I am heartbroken.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This sounds like a very distressing incident and it must have been terribly upsetting for the owner of the cat.

“Dog owners have a legal responsibility under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to keep their dog under control in a public place. This legislation is enforced by the police.

“We ask that dog owners be aware that there may be other animals present in the area when walking their dog and to keep their dog under control at all times.”

Katie hopes to encourage dog owners to keep their pets under control following the incident.

She added: "I want to warn others that this kind of thing can happen and I hope dog owners will now take the time to train their dogs, I wouldn’t want this to happen to anybody else.”

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