A cat died after being shot with a pellet gun before getting savaged by an “unmuzzled” dog on its way home.

Pet owner Gareth Bridel was alerted by neighbours following the violent attack on 12-year-old Kai in Old Mill Close, Eynsford.

He said: “Kai came running around the corner on the left hand side of the road which is where the dog was.

“It was a large greyhound and unmuzzled. The dog pulled away from its owner who then chased after it.

“Kai went up a tree but wasn’t able to get very far. The greyhound grabbed him in its mouth and he was unable to escape the jaws of the dog.

“It had him until the owner got around the corner and managed to get Kai out of its mouth.”

After the attack, Kai ran away and hid underneath a car and a neighbour called Gareth to tell him what had happened.

“Kai was well known in the area so he was recognised,” he added.

After managing to get him from under the car and into a basket, Gareth immediately took Kai to the vets, where he discovered his beloved pet had been shot prior to the attack.

“They had to sedate him straight away,” he explained. “He had blood around his abdomen, around his chest and on his side from where the dog had gripped him.

“An X-ray showed that he had a crushed sternum.

“But the more worrying thing was an air rifle pellet had gone in through his abdomen and was lodged around where his bladder should be which caused some internal damage.

“Very quickly we made the decision to have him put down.”

Gareth got Kai when he was a kitten, as well as his brother who died a few years ago.

He thinks after Kai was shot he got scared and was making his way back home.

He added: “He wouldn't run deliberately into the path of a dog so he was obviously frightened legging it back home, and by circumstance bumped into that dog at that time.”

Gareth says he has since spoken with the dog owner who he says has apologised over the incident which happened earlier this month.

He added that they now walk the dog with a muzzle which is “good”.

But Gareth says he would like dog owners to be more aware and to control their pets appropriately.

He added: “I want to bring to other pet owners attention what is happening in our village and to be vigilant.

“These cruel and negligent actions ended the life of our much loved family pet in a very violent, distressing manner.”

A police spokesperson said: “At around 4pm on Friday, July 5, a cat was found injured after being attacked by a dog near Old Mill Close, Eynsford.

“It was later reported by a vet the cat also had wounds consistent with a pellet gun injury.”

Anyone with information which may assist police enquiries should call 01622 604100, quoting reference 06-0548.