Roaming Dogs Kill A Cat

By Kendra Bobowick

Cindy Mauborgne of High Rock Road lost a pet Wednesday evening, January 27, when her cat was “ripped apart” by another animal.

“I am in shock over what happened,” she said last Thursday. Her story is an appeal for both information and for neighbors to be alert.

“Last night we opened the door and found the cat,” she said. “We checked the property and my husband asked, ‘Did you see something in the driveway?’”

Soon getting into her car, Ms Mauborgne went to the end of her driveway and “couldn’t believe it.” Two pit bulls — one smaller black and white dog and another larger tan short haired pit bull — were near the street. The tan dog had gray, bald spots on one side.

“I tried to scare them away and [the tan dog] charged my car.” The pair then ran into open space near her yard.

The incident leaves her with questions. Where did the dogs come from? Are they feral or did they escape from a nearby home? Were they discarded here from another town? What harm might they bring to joggers, people, children at bus stops, or neighborhood pets? If the dogs are someone’s pets, she said, “They don’t look well kept.”

“I wrote letters to my neighbors to be careful,” she said. “I saw kids waiting for the bus and thought, ‘These people need to know.’”

She and her husband have installed electronics that beep and alert them to coyotes on their property, which they scare away, and other equipment to capture images of animals.

She and Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason installed a trap Friday with hopes of capturing the animals. “If we trap dogs, I can take action. If it is something wild, a coyote, I can’t do much,” Ms Mason said. She is asking people to look for the animals and report any sightings or other information. Call the dog pound at 203-426-6900, or 203-270-4255. As of Monday morning they had not caught animals in the traps.