The owner of a dog which attacked and seriously injured two cats has been fined and banned from keeping the animal.

In November 2020, a Staffordshire bull terrier attacked an elderly cat so severely, one of its legs had to be amputated.

Eight months later, the same dog attacked a cat in woodland in South Oxhey. The cat was so badly injured, it was later put down.

At St Albans Magistrates Court, Paula Rogers of Clitheroe Gardens in South Oxhey, was convicted of six offences of failing to comply with a community protection notice.

The notice was issued to Rogers by Three Rivers District Council's animal welfare inspector in March this year, required her dog to be muzzled and on a lead in a public place.

The council says when the first attack took place last November, the dog had been off its lead when it wondered into a garden and attacked the cat. The cat had to have its leg amputated and the cat owner had to pay £7,000 in veterinary bills.

As a result of that incident, the council issued a community protection warning to Rogers but "within a fortnight" she was seen walking her dog with no muzzle on.

The council says Rogers was "continually seen" walking the dog with no muzzle so decided in March to upgrade the warning to a notice.

On July 30, Rogers' dog was off its lead and without a muzzle in Cinder Track when it attacked a cat.

The incident was witnessed by two 14-year-old boys who shouted for help. Rogers is then said to have appeared and pulled her dog away. The cat was later euthanised due to its serious injuries.

Rogers was seen a further four times out with her dog without a muzzle on prompting the council to apply for a criminal behavioural order.

Rogers, who had failed to appear in court on two occasions previously, was arrested on December 11 after a warrant was issued by the court.

The judge concluded Rogers, who was fined hundreds of pounds in August for failing to update her dog's microchip details, must not keep her dog for five years and to surrender it to the council's animal welfare inspector on grounds she is unable to keep it under control.

She has also been fined £600, told to pay compensation of £1,089 to a cat owner, pay costs of £600, and victim support of £60.

Three Rivers district councillor Phil Williams, who has responsibility for environmental services, described the attacks on the cats as "horrific".

He added: "I welcome the court’s decision to impose the order preventing such an irresponsible person from keeping a dog that she clearly cannot control properly.

"As a council we will simply not tolerate dog owners behaving in this way."