A woman has said she will never walk her dog in the same place again after a "terrifying experience" which could leave her without a "big chunk" of her thumb. Sally Leachman, 56, was out walking her Sprollie dog named Murphy, who was on a lead. close to the canal near Lady Bridge, Retford, on Saturday, November 12, at around 3.30om when she says she and Murphy encountered a pair of dogs.
Sally claims a Poodle jumped on Murphy's back while a black Labrador faced the pair and began barking "aggressively". Sally said she put her arms out in self-defence and was immediately bitten on the thumb by the Poodle.
Nottinghamshire Police confirmed officers are investigating the incident.
Sally said she will "never" walk Murphy there again after an experience she "never thought would happen." Surgery may now be required to mend her thumb, but she thinks she will at the very least lose a "big chunk" of the inside of it.
Speaking on the incident, Sally, who lives in Ordsall, Retford, said: "It was awful. It was absolutely terrifying. I've parked up in Sutton Lane to take my dog for his Saturday afternoon walk. And met the bloke about 300 metres I think it was from where I parked.
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"I went along the canal itself, parked up at Lady Bridge. I have seen him before walking in the woods and around the canal area and I do remember the black dog. Both of them were wearing harnesses.
"We moved off the footpath into the edge as a I saw the two dogs coming towards me. The man was a little bit behind the dogs.
"I saw the black dog and I thought 'oh it's just a lab, he'll just trot past' and assumed the other dog would just trot past. So I didn't feel threatened at all. And then there was no sign of aggression from the Poodle, it came round behind me and my dog, jumped onto my dogs back.
"The black dog set off barking at the front of my dog. As I've gone out and shouted 'no', pushed my hands away in defence and his dog has latched onto my thumb and bitten down. I've screamed out, he's then pulled the Poodle away and then he turned round and asked which one bit me., and I said 'the large Poodle.'
"I'm stood in front of my dog, protecting my dog, and my hand is running with blood, dripping all down my clothes and onto the grass. And he could clearly see I was in a lot of pain and bleeding and he turned round and said asked whether I recognised him and his dogs. With that I just went 'no.' He walked away and I asked for his name and he just carried on walking away and left me.
"So I couldn't move my thumb. I was obviously in a complete state of shock - you don't expect that. No' sorry', no 'can I get you help', nothing - he just walked away.
Sally, who works at the Open University as a quality assurer, is a retired police officer of 20 years. Her thumb is now swollen and bandaged up following a visit to Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop.
She will be checked again on Friday to assess the extent of the damage to her thumb. She continued: "It's horrible, it's absolutely awful. I can never go back down the canal again, I can never walk but down there again and I'm a retired police officer.
"You never expect that to happen. To just go and leave me, I've got one hand holding onto my dogs lead, I've got a hand that doesn't work pouring with blood and I've got to phone for help.
"And he just left me - I think that was the worst thing. My dog has anxiety so he's quite frightened. I'm on some heavy duty painkillers and I've had my tetanus as well and spent most of Sunday in bed. I'm still shaken about it.
"On Friday I've got to go to the hospital and we'll know then. The piece of skin on the inside of the nail is exceedingly flappy so I think I'm probably going to lose a big chunk out of the inside of my thumb. Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop were so helpful. They were so loving and caring, they were wonderful people."
Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the incident.
PC John Pearson, who is investigating the incident, said: “Police are investigating an incident that took place near Ladys Bridge over Chesterfield Canal in Gringley Road on November 12 just after 3.30pm. The victim was bitten by a dog and received an injury to her finger.
"The dog is believed to be a large white Poodle which was with a black Labrador at the time of the incident. We are conducting a number of lines of inquiry to find the owner of the animal.
"Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is also being asked to call 101 quoting incident number 22000664576.”
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