Urgent - dangerous dogs - please read
 

TOTVers,

This morning a pair of large dogs, possibly boxers (one brown/white, one white) mauled and killed a cat in our neighborhood in Bonita. The cat was tethered outside behind his house.

Community Watch is looking for the dogs and the police have been notified.

Please keep all small pets indoors and be on the lookout for the dogs. If you see them, please call 911.

Thank you!

Kate

Please, keep us updated, katezbox. That is scary and very tragic. There are many, many children in TV because of the holiday. My heart goes out the cat's parents.

Invisable fences
 

This is one of the reasons I urge people to reconsider invisible fences. While they keep you pet in, they do not keep other animals out.

I am so sorry to hear this, and I hope they ensure that the dogs no longer roam free. But, I have to say that I feel the owners hold most of the responsibility. Tethering a cat outside in florida is beyond insane. There are countless natural predators all around, never mind loose dogs. Very sad lesson to learn the hard way.

Re Dangerous Dogs
 

So sorry for anyones loss of a pet... But I agree with you Quirky3..Why is a cat tethered and why are dogs allowed to roam freely.. Neither sound like wise things to do because Things Can and Do Happen.
Owning 2 dogs and contemplating a move to TV's.. I do not want my dogs running freely nor do I want to encounter someone else's freely roaming pet..Not knowing the dogs involved I suspect they are not vicious dogs but encountering something that can not flee the area is something beyond temptation for most dogs. My wife and I lean towards the CYV because we want safety for our dogs and not having to expose them to others for chance of an unknown intruder such as this..I hope that loose dogs in any of the Villages is not a big issue to worry about. Again my sympathies to all involved with this tragic and preventable loss.

Thanks Kate for the head's up. In the three years I've lived here I've never encountered a stray dog. I'm so sorry for the cat's owner. People who move here are not aware of the dangers an unaccompanied pet can face such as coyotes, birds of prey, alligators and the most dangerous of all, sick people who kidnap animals for various reasons to gruesome to mention.

What a sad story! I feel so badly for the cat owners never suspecting anything like this to happen. There needs to be a clampdown on dog owners allowing their dogs to be unleashed, even in their own yards. I found out that this not allowable either even if you have an invisible fence. I was told that these fences are not approved by The Villages. If a person is reported for having their dog off leash, it could escalate to Animal Control seizing the animal. This came from a Community Standards meeting or whatever it's called. Community Standard # is 751-3912.

I been here for 10+ years and have seen two dogs running free. In both cases the owners were in hot pursuit. So roaming dogs are not a problem in TV. As to stopping owners letting their dogs run loose in their yards, good luck...........

You said it just the way I would, Duffysmom.

Never have seen a stray dog, never would let my cats outside. Wonder if they were pitbulls? Even Nonie who loves all living creatures says to be aware of the danger they can pose.

There are a few dog owners who have let their dogs to roam. They generally do it very early in Ihave been confronted by a pack of dogs twice in my life in two different states. It is not a pleasant experience

Oh dear, this is a horrible, horrible story. Poor Kitty. Please supervise your pets when they're outside. There are coyotes and feral animals in TV. As to letting dogs run free, that is irresponsible.

c'mon....there are not coyotes running wild throughout the villages! thats a little dramatic statement to make.

I'm with you on that one, Gracie. Our 2 cats have NEVER been outside. One of them runs the other way when the front door is opened. And the sight of a UPS truck - WOW - you wanna see him run !

Wrong, I saw one with my own eyes in the Village of Bridgeport at Lake Miona.

P.S. I passed an alligator IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET in Bridgeport at Lake Sumter, riding on my trike. I don't know which of us was more startled.

I didn't say "there are coyotes running WILD THROUGHOUT TV"!! Please don't misquote me.

But yes, there have been coyotes seen in TV. Usually near Preserve areas. I doubt any have been seen in densely populated areas. I've seen feral cats living on the golf courses. It is dangerous to tie a small pet outside.