A family has been left distraught after their beloved pet cat was ripped apart by a pack of killer dogs.
Twelve-year-old Alabama was torn to pieces while Gideon and Julie Groom and their daughters Evie, five, and Isabella, two were out.
They were told by neighbours who witnessed the attack that she had been savaged by hunting dogs close to their Horsforth home in Leeds.
Mr Groom, 38, said: “It’s absolutely terrible, there are no words to describe what it’s like.
“She was a family cat, we’ve had her for such a long time and it’s just devastating.
“Our eldest daughter is distraught, we’ve all had a good cry and we’re just trying to come to terms with it.”
The family were visiting a friend in Knottingley on Friday afternoon when they received an e-mail from their neighbour asking them to call as soon as possible.
Mr Groom was then told five 20 to 30-year-old men had been seen in the Rawdon Cragg Wood Conservation area with eight or nine hunting dogs, including lurchers and bull terriers.
He said: “They proceeded to allow their dogs to savage our 12 year old domestic cat and left her dead and in tatters on our neighbours’ door step.
“My neighbours and two of their children witnessed the whole incident. Someone who saw the men, said they were quite obviously out hunting wildlife. They showed no remorse and simply cleared off when the incident had ended.
“My neighbours and their five children have been left extremely upset, as are we and our children.
“We now have concerns about the safety of our children and ourselves, as do our neighbours.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed the incident had been reported.
He said: “Officers searched the area to try to trace the five men and nine dogs reported to have been involved but could not find them. The local neighbourhood policing team has been informed.”
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