A Parklands woman is in despair after her beloved cat was killed by neighbouring dogs who continue to terrorise her, despite promises from the Council they would be removed.

Jaimee Dillon-Steele told Chris Lynch Media she returned home to find her cat savagely mauled outside her house.

“We took Smittens to the after-hours vets and sadly her injuries were so bad we had to put her to sleep.  

“We checked our cameras when we came home and our neighbour’s dogs had come into our property and ripped her from our gate not once, but twice, attacking her in our front garden while their owner watched on.”

Jamiee says she supplied the footage to the Christchurch City Council.

“When it was watched, the next day the dog officer told us because of the brutality of it and the clear footage, the dogs would be removed and destroyed.  

“We were told it could take up to two years, but the dogs would be in their care during this time.”

“I have asked for a breakdown in the decision-making process and had no answer.”

Fast forward to this week and multiple emails asking what is going on, the council replied back with devastating news for Jaimee.

“The council has made the decision all that will happen is they are classed as dangerous dogs. Which just means they have to be muzzled in public.

“I have also asked for my file number with no answer. All I have been told is if I need victim support they “may be able to help with this”.

Jaimee says she is struggling to function and has developed a stutter which she has never had before, and now has to take lorazepam to sleep.  

“I suffer PTSD which is triggered from the violence. I work from home and have to hear every day these dogs fighting each other.”

Jaimee says the owners of the dogs have caused her nothing but problems, with a confrontation nearly turning violent.

“These people have had a crime scene at their residence and run a car chop shop. An associate of the house came into our back yard trying to beat my daughter up.

“The girl came over to our property and was aggressive and confrontational with a glass bottle in her hand.

“This is just one of the things we have had to deal with over the years. I can’t continue to live like this.”

Jaimee says she has made multiple complaints to the authorities over the six and a half years living next door to the dogs owners and dealing with their “hideous behaviour.”

“I just can’t believe we have to live next to these vicious dogs every day and listen to them fighting.

“It feels like a recap of that horrific day, every single day for me.”

Head of Regulatory Compliance at the Christchurch City Council, Tracey Weston provided the following statement when contacted by Chris Lynch Media.

“The decision to classify the dogs as dangerous has been made based on the available supporting evidence obtained during the course of the investigation.

“At the time of the incident the dogs were secured on the property and were not deemed to be a threat to public safety.  The dogs would only need to be removed from the property if Council was pursuing a prosecution as an outcome of our investigation or if they were unable to be secured and were deemed to be a risk to public safety.”