Killer dog shot dead

A dog that killed more than 200 of a town's cats over 10 months was yesterday shot dead by animal control officer Rod McLeod.

Mr McLeod shot the dog in Te Kuiti, King Country, with a .22 rifle at about 2pm.

"He was asleep in the sun and he didn't wake up," he said.

The dog, described as mainly pitbull with a bit of staffordshire bull terrier, was in the area he had predicted it was living.

There were three old houses surrounded by long grass.

Neighbours had chopped down all the long grass to make it easier to spot the animal and Mr McLeod had asked them to keep an eye out for the dog.

Mr McLeod estimated about 200 cats had been killed.

Originally there was a pack of about five dogs, but he caught most of them in traps. The last of the pack proved more elusive.

"You couldn't snare him -- I had snares set and everything else -- but you just couldn't catch him. He was just so cunning."

The pure white dog, which was "very muscley" and in good condition, seemed to have no fixed living place.

It was about two or 2-1/2 years old.

"He'd probably been one of those fighting dogs and I think he was probably fed cats to get him going. When he got loose he just thought that was a bit of fun."

The dog did not eat the cats and he never touched rubbish bags.

- NZPA