A cat found in New Ferry with its abdomen ripped open could have been attacked deliberately by a pet dog, the RSPCA fears

May 26 2010 by Matt Hurst, Heswall News

A CAT found in New Ferry with its abdomen ripped open could have been attacked deliberately by a pet dog, the RSPCA fears.

The animal appears to have been mauled to death and was discovered with severe abdominal injuries, in the subway that connects Hayfield Green and Beaconsfield Road.

The grim find was made by a member of the public on May 13, and the RSPCA fears its death could have been caused by a dog owner said to be deliberately setting his pet on cats and foxes in the New Ferry area.

RSPCA inspector, Naomi Norris said: “It would have been a very distressing sight for anyone who came across it.

“The cat was in a really bad way.

“It’s abdomen was torn open.

“The injuries don’t seem to be consistent with a road traffic collision, although we can’t definitely rule that out.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that it was dumped where it was found.”

The cat, which is black in colour, wasn’t wearing a collar or any form of ID tag and hadn’t been microchipped, making the task of tracing its owner more difficult.

But the RSPCA’s biggest fear is a similar incident could occur again.

Insp. Norris told the News: “We’ve had concerns come through from people in the area that there could be a man with a dog that’s been seen, particularly around Hayfield Green.

“It’s a man with a white bull mastiff type dog who is said to have been out chasing cats and foxes.

“We’d be interested to hear if anybody has more details on this.”

Insp. Norris added: “With such severe injuries I wouldn't expect the cat to drag itself around.

“If somebody comes forward and says they did see that cat struggling around, fair enough, but I’m determined to find out how these injuries occurred.”

Call 0300 1234 999 if you have any information