Calls for clear up after dog is impaled
These are the injuries suffered by a family dog after he became impaled on a post on Sunderland parkland.
Lurcher Red was out for a walk with owner Stephen Turner when the metal pole - which had been dumped in the undergrowth on land off Castletown Road - went through his chest, narrowly missing an artery.
He was taken to an emergency vet and underwent surgery to repair damage to his muscles and close the large hole, with his owner using a woollen hat to stem the flow of blood after the pet pulled himself off the post.
Red underwent surgery to help repair damage to muscles and close the hole, with a drain put into another spot in his chest, all at a cost of £1,744, before he was moved closer to home at a Southwick practice.
Now Red’s owners Stephen, 52, a self-employed builder, wife Claire, 48, and their sons Charles, 20, James, 16, and Joseph, 13 - are calling for action to keep the land clear.
Claire, whose family are also owners of Max, a threeyear-old cocker spaniel, said: “What’s happened has made us mad, really mad, because it should never have happened.
“We walk our dogs through the dene and it just frustrates us that it looks like a pigsty.
“People seem to be dumping rubbish there and the pond is full of bottles because that’s where the kids drink at the weekend, it’s just terrible.”
She said she had been in contact with Sunderland City Council to highlight the issue on a number of occasions.
The Echo runs its Clean Streets campaign in a bid to make Sunderland a greener and cleaner place.
Coun Amy Wilson, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “As a dog owner, it’s upsetting to hear what’s happened here in Castletown.Staff have now removed this damaged post and a tidy-up is underway.”