Cole Dennick said Loki had helped since he 'nearly died' from cerebellitis07:50, 06 Aug 2026A couple who say their cat was fatally injured by two dogs in their front garden after they tried to “tear him in half” have described their grief as unlike anything they have “ever known”.‌Katie Rogers, 24, and Cole Dennick, 23, from Birmingham, said their nine-year-old domestic shorthair cat Loki rarely ventured far from home and would spend his days relaxing in their garden. Cole said he shared a “very special bond” with Loki, who never left his side after he “nearly died” in 2020 from cerebellitis – inflammation of the part of the brain that controls balance and movement, caused by an infection.‌On July 25 2026, the couple said Loki was “sunbathing” on their front lawn, on Aldersmead Road, in the West Heath area of Birmingham, when two “large” dogs charged towards him and attacked, with one grabbing his throat and the other his legs. Katie said her father, Mick, 70, managed to force the dogs away, but Loki was left with “deep” bite wounds to his neck, “snapped” hind legs and suffered a seizure before the couple rushed him to the vet.‌They said vets told them the injuries had caused his heart and lungs to fail and he would likely never walk or move normally again, so they decided to have him put to sleep. The couple said they have been left traumatised by the attack, both seeking private therapy, and with Cole, a delivery driver, signed off work.Cole said: “I’ve got PTSD from nearly dying and now from this. Loki was one of the only reasons I was able to pull through and recover. I’ve never known grief like this.”‌Katie, a law graduate, added: “I don’t think we’ll ever feel pain like we felt that day. We don’t ever see a situation in life feeling as bad as this right now.”Cole and Katie got Loki when he was around 18 months old and described him as a very “loving, chilled and cheeky” cat.Cole added: “We used to say he was like a Labrador because whenever we walked our dog, he’d follow us around the block.”‌The couple said Loki was an outdoor cat, but spent most of his time in their garden. On July 25, Loki was “sunbathing” on the front lawn as usual, “watching the world go by”, while the rest of the family were inside.The couple said two dogs came charging towards him at around 3pm – Cole and Katie said the attack was captured on a neighbour’s CCTV camera. They are unsure of the breed of the dogs, but said they were “very large”.Cole said: “One grabbed him by the throat and the other had him by his legs. It was like they were trying to tear him in half.”‌Katie said her father, who they live with, rushed outside after hearing the commotion and managed to get the dogs off Loki by “kicking” them away.“My dad was very lucky that he wasn’t harmed physically. We’re all scarred mentally, but I truly believe those two dogs could be capable of killing humans,” she added.She said Loki was left looking “defenceless, fragile and limp”, with blood “all over him” and “deep” bite marks to his neck. They said they did not see the dogs’ owner during the attack. Katie and Cole said they then put Loki in his cat carrier, where he appeared to have a seizure, before rushing him to the vet.‌Katie said: “The vets told us the bites to his neck were bleeding badly, which had affected his breathing. His lungs and heart were failing and the dogs had snapped his hind legs.“They could continue trying CPR, but he’d have a catastrophic life ahead of him. It wouldn’t be the life of a cat as he knew it. He probably wouldn’t be able to walk again or move very much.”Katie and Cole decided it would be “kinder” for Loki to be put to sleep that day.‌Cole said: “They say cats pick one person to attach themselves to and that was me. He was my little man. He’d sleep on my chest every night and he’s got me through all the hard times.”Since losing Loki, Katie and Cole said their other pets, a cat, Socks, 15, and a dog, Caspar, nine, have been looking for him, as though they are trying to “bring him home”.‌Cole added: “Our other cat is never usually affectionate, but now he won’t leave our side. We haven’t let him out of the house because we’re too scared and we haven’t taken the dog for a walk yet. We’re terrified.”Katie and Cole are now due to see a private therapist to help them work through the “trauma”, saying they cannot stop “replaying” the attack in their minds.Cole added: “I’ve had to go to the doctor because I can’t sleep, and I’ve been signed off work for a few weeks.”Article continues belowThey said they reported the incident on the day of the attack and West Midlands Police was investigating. Now, they are focused on preventing a similar attack from happening again by campaigning for Loki’s Law.Katie said: “More needs to be done in terms of regulation and the owners should face consequences. We don’t think we’ll ever get another pet again, it’s just too much to go through.”A spokesperson from West Midlands Police said: “We are investigating reports of two dogs dangerously out of control in Aldersmead Road, Birmingham. Local enquiries are ongoing as we work to establish the full circumstances. Anyone with more information can call 101 using crime number 20/338858/26.”