A kitten died after being attacked by a dog – but police say no crime has been committed.
Monk, who was just 14 weeks old, is thought to have been attacked by a Jack Russell dog in the garden of a property in Shoreham on Friday.
The dog’s owner took the poor feline to the Shoreham Veterinary Clinic after the incident, but vets revealed he had died of a heart attack.
Ruth White, Monk’s devastated owner, said she believed Monk made his way into the dog owner’s garden after crawling under a hole in a fence.
Mrs White, 51, of John Street, said: “I hadn’t seen Monk for a while and I was trying to find him.
“Then I saw the dog’s owner who told me what happened.
“I’d only had him for about five weeks and am really sad he’s gone and the way in which he died. It must have been horrible for him.
“Poor Monk couldn’t speak for himself or defend himself against the dog, which is why it’s important other cat owners in the area are aware of what happened.
“I don’t want to upset my neighbours or go pointing fingers, but I just want to know why it isn’t classed as an offence.”
Proof
The RSPCA said in order for an offence to be committed, it would need to be proved that a human had encouraged an animal to attack another animal, declined to take reasonable steps to prevent the attack, or had allowed their own animal to be dangerously out of control in a public place.
An RSPCA spokeswoman added: “Without knowing the specific details of this case it is difficult to comment.
“But our thoughts go out to everyone involved in this incident.”
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “We were informed on Friday evening that a cat had been killed at an address in John Street, Shoreham, allegedly by a dog.
“Inquiries have been made and there is no evidence of any criminal offence having been committed.”
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel