A pensioner whose greyhound savaged a cat threw the injured animal over a fence even though it was still alive.
A witness called the Scottish SPCA, which managed to rescue the 14-year-old pet cat Holly after it spent hours lying in the rain but it died the next day.
The actions of 65-year-old dog owner William Grubb after his greyhound Billy Boy attacked the cat were described as “shameful and disgraceful” when he appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Monday.
Grubb, of Paterson Lane, Cowdenbeath, admitted that on June 7 last year on Union Street, Cowdenbeath, he caused the cat unnecessary suffering in that his dog held the cat in its mouth and thereafter he failed to provide treatment for its injuries, threw the cat over a fence, abandoned it and failed to protect it from suffering.
Depute fiscal Cheryl Clark said the incident occurred when Grubb was out walking his two greyhounds.
The cat was found still alive but was “soaked through”, she said.
It was taken to a veterinary surgery but died the following day.
Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said his client had both dogs on their leads at the time when the cat was “seized from the side of the road”.
His client, a first offender, had not immediately rescued the cat fearing the other dog would join in the attack.
Mr Moncrieff said the incident “came as a shock and he panicked”.
He added: “The cat wasn’t making any noise and without checking to see if it was alive he threw it over a fence.”
Sheriff Michael Anderson told Grubb: “It was horrific even if you did panic. What you did was shameful and disgraceful.”
He fined Grubb £300.