A Whanganui District Council hearing considering the release of two impounded dogs was adjourned yesterday to give the animals' owner time to get legal representation.
The council's statutory management committee had met to hear an application from Graham Smith to release his two pitbull terrier cross dogs, Cocoa and Jedi, from the city pound.
The dogs, which live at Mr Smith's property at 8 West Way on Durie Hill, were impounded after they attacked and killed a cat in nearby Hutchison Cres.
The cat's owner saw one of the dogs with the cat in its mouth running from the property. She followed the dogs to Mr Smith's property and he was told what had happened.
According to information collected by council staff, Mr Smith had to hold one of the dogs on the ground before it would release the cat. By then the cat was motionless and it was severely injured.