Two dogs to be destroyed

Two dogs believed to have killed up to 18 cats in Feilding will be destroyed this afternoon.

Manawatu District Council animal control officer Lesley Butler said the owners of the pit bull-sharpei cross and a "bitzer" had contacted the council after publicity about the attacks.

"The owners fronted up and signed the dogs over to us, which I thought was quite brave of them," Ms Butler said.

"Credit where credit's due."

The family pets are believed to have killed about 18 cats during the past two months.

Ms Butler said the episode was a lesson to all dog owners to make sure they knew where their dogs were.

"Always have your dogs securely fenced or (enclosed)," she said.

Ms Butler told the Manawatu Standard she had never seen attacks like these, where cats were being left with bite marks on both ends indicating the dogs took one end each and tugged.

The owner of one of the dead cats said she found her "baby" dead on the doorstep.

"She normally sleeps inside but because of the heat she had been sleeping outside ... these dogs are hunters and it isn't for food, it's a sport," the woman told the newspaper.

'Both dogs have pulled from either side and with the pull from both ends of the cat, the internal organs of the cat have been torn and she had a small tear in her tummy ... it was a quick snap attack."

Ms Butler said it was unlikely the dogs' owners would be prosecuted as they had voluntarily handed them in.

- NZPA