Warning after dog steps on discarded drug needle in popular Harborough park

A dog is recovering after stepping on a discarded drug needle in a popular Harborough park.

The dog owner is now warning others to be alert after the terrifying incident in Symington Rec yesterday (Wednesday).

Anna Bywater said her eight-month-old Cocker Spaniel Poppy was running happily in the park when she suddenly yelped and held her front paw up.

Anna was horrified to find a needle in Poppy's foot and rushed her to the vets, who were able to remove it and give her pain relief.

The vets hope she will be OK but told Anna to monitor her closely in case it gets worse.

"It was awful - I was so worried she’d get ill from the dirty needle, " said Anna, who works as a teacher.

"We live very locally to the field and I walk Poppy there each morning although this has put me off.

"We have noticed glass before on the path areas so avoid them but the main field itself is used for football and is always in good condition - but it was hiding something nasty that day."

Talking about the incident, Anna added: "She was running around happily when all of a sudden she yelped and held her front paw up. We were in the middle of the field on the grass.

"I checked her paw and felt something plastic sticking out. Poppy couldn’t put her weight on her foot and was in so much pain. The plastic I could feel was the cylinder part attached to the needle.

"I couldn’t remove it so I had to carry Poppy all the way home."

Her local vet was closed as it was still early in the morning so she travelled to Rutland Vets in Uppingham.

"They were amazing, they rushed Poppy straight in and removed a huge needle along with the plastic attachment," said Anna.

"The vets confirmed it was a needle used to take drugs. Poppy needed pain medication and we need to monitor her for the next few days to check for any issues.

"She’s still sore but we are hoping there won't be any more damage. She’s lucky."