In front of the owners

Hunting dog tears up beloved pet cat and kills it

It was a sight that a Mostviertel family will never forget: Their two-year-old cat "Snow-White" was brutally killed by a dog in front of their eyes. 

A neighbor's hunting dog was responsible. "They had come home and the dog immediately jumped out of the trunk," says the shocked owner. Shortly afterwards, he grabbed the surprised tiger - who didn't stand a chance.

Because the owner is a hunter, he falls under the exception to the dog law.

Die Katzenbesitzerin

Justice for "Snow-White"
Since then, people in the village of 3,000 people in the west of the state have been hoping for one thing above all: justice. But the local authority turned them down: "We wanted the dog to be required to be kept on a lead and to wear a muzzle - after all, he could catch a child next. Many people feel unsafe. But we were brushed off and told that the owner was a hunter and therefore fell under the exception of the Dog Keeping Act," says the owner of "Snow-White".

The office of the responsible provincial councillor Christoph Luisser disagrees: "It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that his dog does not pose a danger." From a legal point of view, the family could claim compensation.