"She dragged herself up the driveway and into the house then just sort of fell over, and lay there looking at me."
Brian initially thought she has been run over, and rushed her straight to the vet.
"When the vet looked at her, they said her injuries showed clear bite marks and it was most likely a dog that caused them."
The injuries included several bite marks on her legs and back as well as around her tail, and a broken paw.
The incident also left Brian with a vet bill of just under $500.
"I wasn't expecting to be using my super for that this week."
Brian says while he is happy Lucky is recovering well, and appreciates he was fortunate enough to be able to cover the unexpected costs, he wants to warn other pet owners to keep an eye on their pets and be alert to any injuries or bites.
"I would just hate it to happen to someone else, and also want to encourage dog owners to be aware of exactly where their dog is so this doesn't happen to any more cats or other small pets."
Now 6 years old, the white and black cat has had a few close calls over the years, starting when she was just a kitten, he says.
Lucky came to live with Brian after being left behind when the people she lived with moved without taking her with them. Cats are known to land on their feet, and there's no question Lucky certainly landed on hers when Brian adopted her, with him happily admitting she rules the house.
"She's just lovely. I almost called her smoochy because she is so affectionate, she's great company."
Lucky's second stroke of fortune came three years later. By then, she was firmly ensconced in Brian's home lapping up plenty of attention. Brian knew she was blind in one eye, and had been since she first moved in, but hadn't known the cause.
"Then on Christmas Day she suddenly made this choking noise, so I rushed to the emergency vet in Hāwera. After some investigation it was discovered the choking was caused by a slug gun pellet."
It appeared Lucky's blindness had been caused by that pellet hitting her eye before she came to live with Brian. Over the next few years, the pellet had moved slightly and muscle had grown over it, until it made its presence known over the Christmas period. Lucky once again lived up to her name with surgery fixing the issue and removing the pellet.
"I hadn't even known she had been shot before she lived with me. She really has gone through it all over the years."
Blair Sutherland, Stratford District Council environmental services director, says while dogs are allowed off leash on the Swansea Rd fields, dog owners must keep their dogs under continuous control.
"This means they must be appropriately controlled to ensure they do not cause a nuisance or harm to people, other animals or property. If your dog chases another animal it is important to get it back under control.
"If the dog cannot be controlled off leash then it should be put back on a leash. If your dog attacks another animal then it is important to only intervene if it is safe to do so. If it is not please contact the council."
Cats are not required to be kept on their own property, says Blair.
"It is generally accepted that cats are allowed to wander."
If anyone witnesses an animal attack, or their pet has been involved in an incident such as the one Lucky found herself in, it's important to let council know, says Blair.
"It's really important to log animal related incidents with the council so that they can be recorded and investigated appropriately. Having accurate and timely information about incidents that are happening in the community helps us to focus our efforts where they are most needed."