A GANG of teenagers stood and laughed as a rampaging dog mauled a family’s cat to death outside her Hextable home.

Have-a-go hero James Edwards rushed out in his dressing gown to try to save his cat Twiglet who had been trapped in a circle and was being baited by a pack of dogs before she was attacked.

The 21-year-old landscape gardener, of St David’s Road, grabbed a wooden hammer handle to beat the dog into submission during the early hours of Saturday morning. (Aug 10)

He told News Shopper: "I heard the cat meowing and looked out of my window and saw about eight lads aged about 16-20 all with dogs, big, aggressive looking staffs, pitbulls, mastiffs.

"There was a circle of dogs and my cat was stuck in the middle.

"They let one of the dogs off the lead.

"I threw on my dressing gown, banged on my parents door as I ran past and picked up a stick from the porch. My girlfriend was screaming.

"I beat the dog seven or eight times, it had its jaws locked round the cat and was shaking its head and moving towards the car."

Eventually Mr Edwards managed to force the dog, believed to be a cross between a greyhound and a mastiff, to drop Twiglet during the terrifying 2am attack.

The 10-year-old was rushed to an emergency vets in Dartford but had to be put down the following morning. 

He said: "These people go looking for animals to do this to.

"They were having a ball, they were in their element, laughing, loving it.

"I despise animal cruelty. It’s sick. I wanted to go out to them, she (my cat) didn’t stand a chance."

Mr Edwards says the incident has left their family devastated.

He said: "My girlfriend who saw it all has been breaking down in tears, she’s absolutely petrified about them coming back.

"The way my cat died was quite horrifying."

Kent Police are investigating the attack. Anyone with information should call 101, quoting crime reference number YY/15437/13.