A GALWAY dog owner spoke yesterday of the discovery that his family's two pets had been hung from trees. One was mutilated and dead: his stomach had been cut open before he was hung by the neck. The other, also hung by the neck, survived.
Gardai believe the two springer spaniels, an eight year old dog named Sam and his two year old pup, Sonny, were attacked in daylight on Tuesday afternoon close to Galway Golf Club. Insp Martin Lee of Salthill said: "We have no idea yet who carried out this atrocity. Whoever did it must have a strange idea of fun."
A similar attack took place in December at the same place. On that occasion, children going to school were sickened by the sight of a dead dog dangling from a tree. A teacher cut the dog down and buried it.
The owner of the dogs attacked this week, Mr Don Collins, who lives in Knocknacarra, said his family was henrtbroken.
"We are terribly upset, particularly my 14 year old daughter who was so close to Sonny. We just cannot understand how anyone could do this to our dogs. They were the perfect family pets. It is sickening that such a thing could happen."