DOG walkers have been warned of the dangerous item that could skewer their pet and leave them in excruciating pain.
Cheryl Wild has issued the advice after her three-year-old Bedlington Terrier was impaled by the object and began to yelp in distress.
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Betty was playing on Penmaenmawr beach in Conway, Wales, until disaster struck and she was left clawing at her face after being pierced by a fishing hook on Sunday 10 November.
Her owner was stunned after realising what had impaled her pet’s nose, especially after wire cutters were required to cut the metal off.
A local to the area, Cheryl regularly walks Betty and her other dog, Willow on the beach.
She told WalesOnline: “As I have a bad knee, I sat on a rock and watched them play.
“Betty began shaking her head frantically. At first, I didn’t think much of it as she often picks up seaweed and throws it around. But then she began yelping in pain.
“If I tried to pull them out, it would have ripped her nose to pieces but Betty was really distressed and was trying to knock out the hooks with her paws, causing the wound to bleed even more. I was worried she was going to rip them out and cause more damage – it was really traumatic for everyone there.”
The barbed nature of the triple-pronged hook meant that they could not be removed with ease.
Pulling them out would likely inflict further pain and injury to Betty who had already suffered enough.
Cheryl went on to explain how she cradled her poor pet, covering Betty’s eyes in an effort to keep her calm while alerting passersby of any further danger.
She later went on to post on social media, worried about others who might not be aware of the risks that lurk in the sand.
The Facebook post read: “Please be cautious on pen beach, Betty got a 3 pronged barbed fishing hook, through her nose, and as we were leaving another couple had found 2 more, laying around, these are not only dangerous to our animals, imagine a youngster getting on in there foot.
“Betty has had it removed, and is ok.”
Garnering attention from locals, some were quick to defend the angling community.
One user wrote: “It wouldn’t have been the big fishing competition, they would have been bait fishing, that’s a lure.
“Lures and tackle like that are expensive, no angler wants to just throw it away, so it’s not been left there intentionally.
“They’ll snap off or get caught in the rocks. It can’t be retrieved when the tide is in.”
However, others were keen to adhere to the advice and encourage others to do so.
Someone put: “I noticed a lot of stuff left behind on the beach when we were walking the dogs last night and the night before.
“There was a load of rotting fish bait left in the grass which my dog nearly ate!
“It would have made her really ill. I hope Betty is ok xx”
Another commented: “There was a big fishing comp on the beach a couple of weeks ago.
“Must have been over 50 fishermen. They really should take their tackle home with them.
“When I used to fish down on the beach when I was younger, I would always come down at low tide to collect any tackle I lost.”
A third wrote: “Disgusting, it doesn’t matter who it was, comp or not, they know better and just have no regard for anything.”
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Warnings to Dog Walkers
PET owners might not always realise the perils that lurk in plain sight when taking their dog on a walk for its daily exercise.
Last week, another dog walker warned locals in Newton Flotman to take care after a close call with an exposed metal stake.
Debra Hale, 67, was walking her dog before nearly hitting her head on the sharp object and claims she was only saved by her good boots.
On Tuesday, Quotezone.co.uk urged canine carers to keep an extra careful watch for acorns.
With over 120 million oak trees in the UK, there are plenty of opportunities for a dog to pick one up and ingest the poisonous nut.
At the end of last month, hundreds of venomous jellyfish were spotted off the coast of popular UK beaches with washed up tentacles a potential hazard for inquisitive pets.
