Pepper suffered multiple injuries at Mullingar lake after stepping on fishing hook

A Mullingar pet owner whose dog suffered multiple injuries when it stepped on a fish hook on the shores of Lough Ennell last weekend has urged anglers to make sure that they take all of their equipment home with them after a fishing trip.

Pepper, a Bichon Frisé, was walking with its owner at the Ladestown Shore area last Saturday evening when a hook became lodged in one of its paws. The concerned owner, who asked that his name not be published, carried the dog to his car and drove to a local vet. During the journey, the animal attempted to lick the wound and in the process got the hook attached to its tongue.

In its efforts to get remove the hook from its mouth, the extremely distressed animal ended up slicing its tongue open, causing further pain.

The hook, which was a treble hook that had another hook attached to it, was removed by the vet, who also had to stitch the animal’s tongue.

As it was a weekend evening visit, it cost the dog’s owner €300.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, the owner said the incident was harrowing for both him and his pet, who is recovering well.

"It just shows how quickly things can escalate. Little did I think the foot would be the minor injury.

"He had to be sedated [to get the stitches]. While the vet was brilliant, it was a premium charge as it was out of hours.

"It was a traumatic experience that was caused by someone being careless with their equipment. Thankfully there doesn’t appear to be any long term damage, but I will never get the sight of him pulling at the hook in his tongue out of my head.

"The car journey was traumatic. The dog is placid but the screaming out of him [on the journey to the vet] will take me time to get over, and blood is very obvious on a white dog.

"I wonder how many swans get hooks stuck in their feet. It’s just a reminder to anglers to be careful when they are packing up," he said.