A dog owner has warned others to remain vigilant after his pet was found choking on discarded fishing tackle on a Fife beach.
David Slinn was walking his daughter’s pet Labrador, Indy, on Wormit Bay beach on Monday when he suddenly found the dog choking and in distress.
To his dismay he found the family pet had swallowed a bundle of fishing line, which still had weights and a number of barbed hooks attacked.
Concerned for the dog’s welfare, David frantically tried to free the entangled line from the dog’s mouth to prevent her from choking further.
The line was eventually pulled free from the dog’s mouth, helped by Indy coughing.
Weights and hooks attached
David said it was a miracle the beloved seven-year-old Lab had not suffered a serious injury after the line was found to have a number of weights and hooks attached.
“I’m just thankful that Indy wasn’t injured as the whole line and tackle had been swallowed,” he said.
“How the hooks didn’t catch in the dog’s throat or mouth I’ll never know.
“They could have caused an horrendous injury and it was such a relief when Indy coughed up the bundle of line.”
David thinks the line could have been left on the beach by anglers he saw there just the day before.
“I take the dog for a walk on the beach at Wormit Bay close to our home most days and have never had any problem before,” David said.
“However anglers were fishing in the exact spot just 24 hours earlier, where Indy found and swallowed the discarded line.
Environmental risk
“It’s a concern that they may have left it there rather than take it with them as it poses such a risk, not just to dogs but also to young children and the environment.”
David is now urging those fishing on beaches to take away any entangled line and tackle.
He also warned other dog owners to remain vigilant to ensure their pets don’t suffer.
Danger
The warning was echoed by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust ranger, Ranald Strachan.
He said “It is certainly a rare occurrence as generally discarded tackle is not a major issue on Fife beaches.
“However the incident is a reminder of the dangers it can pose to animals.
“Whether the tackle was left by local anglers or washed up from the sea it’s vital that any snagged line is collected and appropriately disposed of.”
Man quits stressful job to set up UK’s first curative forest off Fife Coastal Path