A CAT owner has taken to walking her pet on a lead after it was repeatedly mauled by a dog.

Ann Axenskold has spent more than £600 on vets bills due to injuries inflicted on her cat Cinderella by a dog getting into her garden in Goldcroft Road, Wey-mouth.

And Mrs Axenskold is appealing for the mystery dog owner to keep control of their pet to prevent further attacks. She said: “It’s ruined our lives because we can’t go out into the garden and let our cat out. It’s absolutely awful.”

Mrs Axenskold’s garden backs on to an area frequented by dog walkers and her cat has been injured three times.

She believes a Staffordshire bull terrier she has seen in her garden carries out the attacks on Cinderella.

Mrs Axenskold said: “Her suffering has been dreadful. The first time her leg was ripped open to the bone and the second time I found her semi-conscious in the garden and severely traumatised.

“She was on a saline drip for 24 hour because it was so bad. She got over that and we let her out but the next day she came back and had again been ripped open under her arm. It’s a nightmare.”

The cat owner has spent another £600 on wooden panelling on top of her vet’s bills to try to secure her garden fence.

She said: “No dogs can get in now but a cat is going to get out. I feel as though we are beseiged.

“The dog has got her scent and we found it in the garden chasing her. Cinderella is a rescue cat from the RSPCA who had a bad start in life.”

Mrs Axenskold is appealing for the dog owner to contact the dog warden ‘to get this sorted out’ as she thinks they may not know what has happened.

Dog warden Ian Lewis is also appealing for the dog owner to come forward so they can agree a course of action.

He said it was a civil matter and the dog owner had nothing to fear about speaking to him.

He said: “It’s down to the person to come forward and say it is their dog so we can get some closure and just make sure it does not happen again.”

Mr Lewis can be called on 07966 800822.