Owner fined after after her "dangerously out of control" dog attacks cat

Saturday 23 December 2023

A cat had to have one leg amputated after an out of control dog attacked it, the Magistrate's Court has heard.

The cat was said to have let out a scream after the dog ran away from its owner Tracey Leonard and got into the garden of the property where the cat lived.

Leonard (54) admitted the charge of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control.

The court heard that she was walking her dogs on a field in St Saviour on the morning of 28 October when one of them, a pointer named Red, bolted off and found its way into a neighbouring back garden.

Advocate Howard Tobias, prosecuting, said the householder heard her cat scream and added: “The cat was badly wounded to its left back leg and there was blood on the carpet. It had to have its leg amputated.”

Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending, said Leonard was a responsible dog owner who trained her animals, and that the field was often used by dog owners allowing their animals let off their leads.

Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke told Leonard she should keep the animal on a lead at all times but decided it was not necessary for the animal to wear a muzzle.

He allowed her to pay the fine at the rate of £200 per month, but warned her that she may face a claim for compensation from the cat's owners via the civil courts.