YOUGHAL DOG OWNERS are urged to be alert

Concern As Dogs Injured By Discarded Fishing Hooks.



Concern as dogs injured by discarded fishing hooks. – By Christy Parker

YOUGHAL DOG OWNERS are urged to be alert as it emerges that an average of one dog per month is incurring injury from discarded fish hooks while exercising in scenic areas. Testimony from local vets indicate that each treats an average of three or four dogs a year for injuries sustained from discarded fishing tackle. Owners have incurred expensive veterinary surgery in incidents where hooks have become embedded in a dog’s mouth or, on at least one occasion, when an animal has swallowed a hook.

Youghal Town and Cork County Councillor Barbara Murray wants the county authority to erect signs advising anglers in Youghal not to leave fishing tackle or hooks behind them.
Kim Carey with her three year-old labrador Macy

Kim Carey with her three year-old labrador Macy

Kim Carey’s three year-old Labrador, Macy, has had two unfortunate encounters with discarded hooks at the Slob bank, a mile-long, scenic walking area alongside the Blackwater. “Last December my fiancé Alan noticed Macy was distressed,” recalls Kim. “She had a piece of fishing line protruding from her mouth and a vet’s x-ray showed she had swallowed a hook. It required an operation to remove it. More recently she got a hook stuck on her paw. I’ve met others whose dogs have had similar injuries and I’ve even got tangled in fishing line myself.”

Local man Terry Hurton’s black Labrador Allie had to have a hook removed from her tongue after a walk on the Slob bank. “It cost me €80,” says Terry wistfully.

Youghal vet Tom Kenneally says he treats “four or five dogs” a year for such hook-related injuries. “It happens in the Slob and on the beaches,” he says. Other vets in the area report a similar average, indicating about one dog a month falls victim.

Many anglers fish in the area and angling club competitions are frequently held on the Slob bank. The Munster Council of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers has been informed of the issue but say they cannot comment at present.

Meanwhile Cllr Murray, herself a dog owner says she has brought the matter to the attention of county hall and will further pursue the issue. “I don’t think any angler is deliberately negligent but signage might urge them to double check they haven’t left anything behind,” she reasons. “And it might also remind dog owners to be alert to the danger.”

The Slob Bank is a popular walk along the scenic river Blackwater, Youghal. Pic: www.youghalonline.com

The Slob Bank is a popular walk along the scenic river Blackwater, Youghal. Pic: www.youghalonline.com
A bird with fishing line and hook hanging from its beak at the Slob Bank Youghal. Pic: www.youghalonline.com

A bird with fishing line and hook hanging from its beak at the Slob Bank Youghal. Pic: www.youghalonline.com
Kim Carey shows the fishing line and hooks that are a danger to dogs

Kim Carey shows the fishing line and hooks that are a danger to dogs