A Dunfermline woman is warning pet owners to be vigilant after three of her dogs suffered suspected chemical burns during a walk at a quarry.
Kathy Ferguson went for a walk with four dogs at Cruicks Quarry in Inverkeithing on Sunday.
But three of the French bulldogs who went into water at the site later developed “blistering burns” on their paws.
Kathy told The Courier: “We have been going there for about 15 years but we hadn’t been for a while.
‘I haven’t seen this before’
“Three of our dogs had been running and playing in the large puddles, which they normally do – that’s nothing unusual for them.
“Then late Sunday afternoon we noticed that one of the dogs, her feet were red.
“We cleaned them, applied some cream and said we would take her to the vet on Monday morning if it did not get better.”
The following day, the two other dogs that had been in the water also began to develop similar injuries.
Kathy then took the dogs to the vet to be checked.
She said:Â “(The dogs) are all limping and the they keep tripping over each other.
“Last night they were given painkillers and they are not happy about getting (their paws) cleaned.
“I haven’t seen this before.”
‘I want people to be careful’
The quarry is closed to the public, but Kathy says she was walking in an area with no access restrictions.
She is now urging other dog owners to be vigilant when walking their dogs in case something similar happens to them.
She added: “One of our dogs that didn’t go in any of the water is fine and the previous day all five had been out on a walk and they were fine then.
“I’m not blaming or accusing anyone, I just want people to be careful. It could’ve been much worse we did not notice as soon as we did.
“As a dog owner you don’t want others to go through the same thing.”
A spokesperson for Tarmac, which owns the quarry, said: “Cruicks Quarry in Inverkeithing is currently closed, with no public access.
Quarry owner ‘unaware of any hazardous substances’
“To prevent public trespassing, the site is clearly signposted including reference to dogs, highlighting the danger of entering. In addition, the site is gated, and regular security checks are carried out.
“We are unaware of any hazardous substances within the water at this particular site.
“We would like to remind the public of the dangers posed by disused quarries. On average, there are five fatalities each year in UK quarries involving members of the public, the majority of which are water-related and occur in disused sites.
“We urge people and their pets to stay out and stay safe.”
Conversation