A dog tragically died after receiving a fatal injury from a plant during a walk in the park.
Stuart Good, 61, was walking his dog Ella with his friend Clive Ransom, 49, at Port Sunlight River Park, Wirral, last month. However, what should have been a regular walk soon took a turn for the worse when Ella suddenly yelped out in pain and ran out from an undergrowth.
When Stuart got home, he noticed a blister "the size of a pound coin" under the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's leg which continued to swell to double its size. Clive rushed Stuart and Ella to the vets where they were informed her injuries were caused by giant hogweed.
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Now, Clive and Stuart want to warn all other dog owners about the importance of keeping their dog on a lead and stick to the paths when walking in the park. Clive told the Liverpool Echo : "She went in the undergrowth and let out a little yelp. She shot out as if something had spooked her and let out a little yelp.
"We carried on the walk and then I went back to my place, Stuart went back to his place, then he phoned me up and said 'I've just seen a blister on Ella and she's trying to scratch it.'' She came out of the bushes yelping, we didn't know what it was and she had a little blister about the size of a £1 coin under her front leg and that then developed.
"The next day it was double the size and the next day it was double the size again. I said 'right that's it' because Stuart doesn't drive I took him to the vets.
"That was when they said three days later - 'that's definitely giant hogweed, we can prescribe pain killers but there's no cure for this. We're just going to have to wait - you'll know when the time is right, and that's when the pain becomes too much for Ella and we have to say goodbye'."
Giant hogweed - often referred to as 'Britain's most dangerous plant' - is a large cow parsley-like plant that can cause burns to dogs and humans. The sap is the part of the plant which can be dangerous - if it gets onto the skin and is then exposed to the sun, it can cause massive blisters that can recur over months, or in some cases, years.
In the weeks following Ella's initial trip to the vets, Clive noted that the blister continued to get bigger "to the point where it was half of her side as one great big open wound. It was that bad it was weeping and bleeding."
Clive added: "Stuart had to throw his bedding away. He loved the dog so much he had her in bed with him to keep her comfortable. It was devastating for him." By Monday, May 30, Stuart made the incredibly difficult decision to have Ella put down.
A spokesperson for the Land Trust said: "The Land Trust has been made aware of an unfortunate incident involving a dog and has reached out to the individual for more information. We are not aware of any Giant Hogweed, which can be dangerous, at Port Sunlight River Park.
"We do have Common Hogweed which is a common native plant and is often confused for Giant Hogweed - which is a non-native invasive species. Common Hogweed does not cause any issues to the public or their pets and can often be found in our parks in meadows, woodland, along hedgerows, verges and roadsides.
"Health and safety at our parks is extremely important to the Land Trust. Our rangers do regular, scheduled checks and maintenance to keep our parks safe for visitors. This includes mowing grassed areas adjacent to the paths keeping them short for visitors and their pet.
"We also have signs on site that state dog owners should keep their dogs on a lead and stick to the paths to help preserve ground nesting birds and to be respectful of the site and other visitors. Our site ranger is generally on site Monday – Friday and will continue to do regular health and safety checks of the park, along with our volunteers, and also speaking to any visitors about their concerns.
"If members of the public have anything they would like to discuss with our ranger, please email mail@thelandtrust.org.uk and one of our team can help."
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