Walk takes a nasty turn for Chester pet on Millenium Greenway

Mar 10 2011 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

Walk takes a nasty turn for Chester pet on Millenium Greenway

A BELOVED family pet almost bled to death after cutting her leg on discarded building material on the Millennium Greenway.

Four-year-old Dachshund cross Millie was with her owner Jan Mills on the way home to Shelley Road, Blacon, on Tuesday last week when tragedy struck.

Jan said: “My granddaughter Amy and I were walking home after taking our other dog, Boscoe, to the vet for a check-up.

“Both dogs were off-lead but were close by, and I turned to check on Boscoe, who was slightly behind us.

“When I looked at Millie I could see she was limping, then I saw all the blood.”

Amy, 16, picked Millie up and ran with her back to the practice, where she was rushed to theatre by vet Jo Holly.

Jo said: “Even though it wasn’t a long distance both owners were covered in a large quantity of blood from a wound on Millie’s hind leg.

“She had started to develop signs of shock due to the blood loss so we applied pressure and gave her an injection to help with the pain and prepare her for surgery.

“The cut had gone through all the tendons on the back of her leg and severed all the associated arteries and veins in this area.

“There is strong possibility that her tendons will not repair properly and she could be left with a permanent disability.

“Whatever caused the injury had to be extremely sharp.”

Jan added: “I am very disappointed and frustrated that the building area was left in a hazardous state resulting in the near-death experience of a family pet.

“There were no fences or signs, except for a few that were face down on the floor.

“If it wasn’t for Vets4Pets magnificent veterinarian Jo Holly, our dog would have ultimately bled to death due to someone’s carelessness.”

Rachel Ashley, of Cheshire West and Chester, said the path was closed at the time.

She said: “We are very sorry about what happened to Millie but the pathway closed on February 25 and signs were in place.

“It was clear that the path wasn’t open to the public.”

However, Audrey Hodgkinson, of Friends of Millenium Greenway, said there have been concerns about the site for some time.

“The work has taken longer than expected and it has been open and closed at different times,” she said.

The site has since been cleared.