Safety Alert When Walking Your Dog on the East Side of Flagler
On Friday, an El Cid resident, after walking on the east side of
Flagler Drive with her one year old, 14 lb Schnauzer, discovered when
arriving home that the dog had fishing line hanging out of its mouth.
A rush to the Vet ER confirmed that the pup had obviously scented,
scooped up and swallowed a baited, barbed fish hook that was left
laying on the ground. The pup almost died and has had to undergo two
surgeries to remove the hook and repair the tears from the barbs that
ripped through her esophagus and her stomach. The abdominal incision
on this little dog is five inches long and her post op treatment
requires the owner's past experiences as a trauma nurse.
This is not the first incident with a fish hook on Flagler. Fishermen
are leaving hazardous items on the concrete and grass that can be life
threatening to our dogs and to the cats, foxes and other wild animals
roaming around at night. And, undoubtedly, if you have walked your
dog on this stretch, your pup also has picked up chicken bones, pizza
crusts, and all sorts of food items that can make them ill.
The veterinarian surgeon is very upset about this and similar
incidents from careless behavior that has sickened many animals. The
City is being contacted about this problem in addition to the food
waste and other trash that has been littering our streets and swales
since major restoration work began on homes and utilities in our community.
Homeowners also are complaining about dog walkers not picking up after
their animals. This is another health hazard. Please be courteous
and pick up after your dog. If you see someone else not picking up, say something.
If you have any comments or concerns, you may email [email protected].