A DISTRAUGHT Greenock mum has told of her family’s shock and distress after their beloved pet cat was mauled to death by a dog.

Mum-of-three Heather Easdale told the Telegraph that she fought back tears as she cradled her dying cat Pepsi in her arms following a savage attack in the communal garden area of her flat in Drumfrochar Road.

The 27-year-old had been settling down to dinner with her partner Andrew Dillon, 34, and their three children — five-month-old Adam, two-year-old Aaron and three-year-old Alexander — when they received a knock at the door.

Heather said: “My auntie frantically knocked on my door just before 7.30pm and told us that a dog had got hold of Pepsi and was shaking her around like a ragdoll.

“Andrew ran into the close and banged the window to scare the dog off and I ran down the stairs with no shoes on and I saw her lying on the grass and by that time the dog had already run off.

“She was still breathing and was trying to cry but nothing came out so I picked her up off the grass and laid her down on the concrete before running back up the stairs to get an old towel.” The family desperately hoped that Pepsi would pull through but sadly she passed away shortly after the attack.

Heather added: “We brought her up to the flat and within 10 minutes she was dead.

“It was heartbreaking — Andrew was really upset.” The couple have had Pepsi since April and are very upset at what happened to her.

Heather said: “She was a lovely cat and part of the family.

“We still can’t believe she is gone.

“The kids are a bit young to understand but Alexander has been saying ‘Pepsi died’.

“It’s just a horrible thing to have happened.” Heather, who took Pepsi to the vet on Saturday morning where she was cremated, says there is a problem with irresponsible dog owners in her neighbourhood and that the consequences could be drastic.

She told the Tele: “There are so many weans living round here and I worry that it is only a matter of time before it happens to a child.

“There are lots of children living round here and if they are out playing and there is a dog like that on the loose, God knows what would happen.” Police today confirmed that a 17-year-old girl has been reported to the procurator fiscal in relation to the incident.

Sergeant Allan O’Hare of Greenock police said: “A 17-year-old female has been reported to the procurator fiscal under the Dangerous Dogs Act for allegedly not having her dog under proper control.”