Dogs blamed for pet attacks

Families in Guisley and Yeadon have been left heartbroken after discovering empty hutches and dead animals scattered across their gardens.

And now hundreds of leaflets have been distributed warning pet owners to be on their guard.

After first putting the attacks down to a marauding fox, they now believe it was the work of dogs.

John Clapham, 44, his wife, Ann-Marie and their children, Jonathan, 13, and Ellen, 15, from Guiseley, discovered their pet rabbit dead in the middle of their lawn."We found our rabbit dead on the lawn and were very upset. The hutches had been tipped over and the doors damaged. Another neighbour found their rabbit and guinea pig dead in their garden," said Mr Clapham .He added that he had heard of similar attacks across Guiseley and in Yeadon.

"There were large black hairs stuck to the hutches and I believe it is a dog or dogs who are responsible for the killings. As I understand it eight pets have been killed in the attacks at gardens in the Silverdales and Nunroyd area of Guiseley and in South View Crescent at Yeadon," said Mr Clapham.

Mr Clapham said their rabbit and a neighbour's rabbit had not been damaged and appeared to have died of fright.

Mr Clapham said: "At first I thought a fox was responsible but the black hairs found on the hutches indicates that dogs could have been involved. Then there was the incident at Nunroyd where a woman saw two black dogs attacking her pet rabbit."

The Claphams, with the help of neighbours, have distributed about 200 leaflets warning pet owners to keep an eye on their animals and to be on the look out for two black dogs. "Apart from the woman no one else seems to have seen or heard anything at all while the animals were being attacked. My wife and I and our two children are very upset and we have decided not to have another rabbit," he added.

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