PICTURES: Killer dog terrorises Worthing family

Russell and Sadie French of Broadview Gardens, High Salvington, were trapped in their home at around 4pm on Saturday, May 24, while the bull terrier type dog tried to get at them and their three children.

Sadie, 42, said: "It was sheer luck my kids were not playing in the garden, that my baby wasn't on the ground in the front drive.

"I dread to think what could have happened."

Mrs French was feeding one-and-a-half-year-old Alana when there was a frantic banging on the door.

"It was my neighbour from two doors up, shouting that one of my cats was being attacked," she explained.

Dog attack

"I quickly ran outside, but my neighbour was trying to stop me from going around the back of my car in my driveway.

"You see, it was not another cat or even a fox that had got hold of my cat.

"It was a dog, A white, great bull terrier-looking thing.

"It had got hold of my cat Teddybear, and was mauling it and dragging him round the garden.

"It turned to look at us and we scarpered.

"My neighbour rant to his house and I ran into mine shouting to my husband to get the kids safe and phone the police, and to try and get our other cats safe."

Mrs French said after about 10 minutes of dragging 16-year-old Teddybear around the front garden, it started to sniff around.

Cat flap

"It found its way to my porch and tried getting its head through the cat flap.

"I did the only think I could think of and kicked it on the nose and put a box in front of the flap.

"It went back to tossing Teddybear around.

"All this was being witnessed by my boys Max (10) and Alex (six), through the sitting room window.

"Alex is autistic and frightened of dogs anyway."

Lengthy wait

After calling the police a further three times, and the dog attacking and killing another of Mrs French's cats, 15-year-old Widget.

After waiting more than half an hour for police officers to arrive, and then there was a further wait for a secondary dog-handling unit before they could catch the dog.

The animal had been reported missing by its owner.

Mrs French said she will pursue her case with the dog's owner.

WARNING this is a graphic photograph, please do not click if you are likely to be upset by this image: Click here to see a photograph of Teddybear after its fatal mauling.

For full details of this story, see the Thursday, May 29 edition of the Worthing Herald.

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