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THIS is the sickening moment an "out of control" dog and his owner are seen appearing to brutally attack a cat in the street.

The footage, which was taken from CCTV cameras in Hartlepool, County Durham, on January 7, has been released by the RSPCA.

 The "out of control" dog was seen pursuing the cat
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The "out of control" dog was seen pursuing the cat
 The dog's owner then sees the chase, and tries to catch up to separate the pair
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The dog's owner then sees the chase, and tries to catch up to separate the pair

It shows the man's dog chasing the chat, before the man intervenes in an apparent bid to split them up.

However at one point in the video the man's dog becomes separated from the cat, but the man continues to attack it.

Animal charity experts are now working with police officers regarding the incident, and want to speak to the man seen in the video.

 When the cat tries and fails to make an escape, the dog and his owner are seen striking the cat
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When the cat tries and fails to make an escape, the dog and his owner are seen striking the cat

Inspector Stephanie Baines, who is leading the investigation, said: "The incident occurred on Saturday shortly before 10am, according to the timestamp on the CCTV.

"In the video, a man is seen cycling into Brian Honour Avenue at 9.57am with a small black dog running loose beside him.

"The dog can be seen darting all over the road and pavements and is clearly out of control. It then shoots off to a parking area behind the houses and attacks a light-coloured cat.

"As the cat tries to escape by scaling a fence, the dog continues to attack and drags the cat back down to the ground. When the man arrives to intervene he can be seen violently stamping and kicking at the cat and slamming his bike tyre down.

 The man used his bicycle in a big to separate the pair but was unsuccessful
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The man used his bicycle in a big to separate the pair but was unsuccessful

 

"The cat eventually escapes and runs to hide under a car. We do not know who the cat belongs to or what injuries it sustained in the attack.

"We are now appealing for information from the public to help us establish what happened on the day. We’d also like to speak to the man seen in the footage."

Cleveland Police are also examining the footage.

 The extent of the cat's injuries are not known
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The extent of the cat's injuries are not known

Mr Baines added: "This footage is very upsetting to watch and we’d like to hear from the cat’s owner to find out if he or she is okay.

"If anyone can help us piece together exactly what has happened or recognises the man or dog shows in the video, we’d urge them to get in touch by calling our inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018."


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