Dogsey

Dog owners across Derry have been put on red alert after a heartless gang snapped a pup’s neck in a vicious attack.

The shocking incident, which took place at a house in Rosemount at lunchtime on Friday, was witnessed by the dog owner’s horrified sister.

The dog killed in the attack was an extremely rare, ten-month-old miniature ginger Siberian husky with blue eyes named ‘Cooper’.

The woman’s other dog, a full-size Siberian husky named ‘Jasper’, was also caught up in the incident and was said to be left in a distressed state.

It’s unclear whether the three-man gang was trying to steal the full-bred dogs or attempting to break into the house. They left behind a back-pack as they fled the scene and it’s understood police are examining its contents.

The dog owner’s friend, Paul Gillespie, who breeds Siberian huskies and who gave Cooper to her, said both she and her sister had been left totally traumatised.

Mr Gillespie said: “The dog’s owner went to work at lunch-time and they may have thought she was no longer there but her sister was there and she heard a noise and looked out the window and saw three guys out the back attacking the dog and they snapped the dog’s neck.

“The other dog was trying to help the smaller dog.

“It was three young fellas in their 20s who attacked the dog.

“The girls are in tears here. It is a nightmare for them and the poor dog is lying there. The dog did nothing wrong.

“Police said not to touch the dog.The gang left a back pack, too, and ran off.

“The girls are very shaken up and she is now thinking she may have to give the other dog away to keep it safe.”

Mr Gillespie said this was the second time there had been an attempt to enter the woman’s property.

He also warned dog owners to be on the alert, claiming that gangs were “marking fences” and coming back to steal prized, full-bred dogs that can sell for hundreds of pounds.