The owner of the whippet said that the dog ‘is extremely lucky to be alive’ – and the sandpit has since been removed
An Ely woman said her whippet suffered life-threatening injuries at a dog field. Georgia Hewer-Heppethwaite, known as Georgia Nevada, 28, hired out Ely Dog Field in Little Downham for her whippet, Beans, on April 29.
Beans was running through the hired dog field when he fell into a closed sandpit and injured his neck. Beans jumped out of the sandpit and “started screaming like a visceral sound I’ve never heard before,” Georgia said.
“It was horrific. I just saw my husband sprinting towards him,” she added. The pair, who said it felt “like a dream” used a jumper to stop the bleeding while the vet was called. Beans was immediately taken to a nearby vet who waited outside to rush him into surgery.
Beans was in surgery for several hours. Georgia said: “He is extremely lucky to have survived. He suffered a hole in his neck just under the size of a ping pong ball.”
“We were told by the surgeons and vets that if we didn’t stop the bleeding and get him to the vet as quickly as we did, it would have been fatal,” she added.
When the accident occurred, the pair “were all over the place” but now they have “moved passed the initial emotion of it”. They called for better signage of the sand pit, which they described as a “hazard”.
Georgia, who has felt “really uneasy, upset and concerned”, wanted to see changes made to the sandpit to prevent other dogs from getting hurt. She said: “They had other dogs in the next morning.”
In response to the incident, the owners of the field said: “Ely Dog Field remains deeply saddened that any dog should ever be injured in any capacity and send our very best wishes to the dog for a continued recovery.”
Georgia said that “it is a beautiful dog park” but if owners are hoping to take their dogs there, she had warned them to “avoid that area”. “I feel like they have a responsibility as dog owners to make it safe”, she continued.
In a statement on Friday, May 22, a spokesperson for Ely Field Park said: “The sandpit has now been removed as we move forward following the recent incident. Our priority remains providing a positive and enjoyable space for our customers and their dogs.”
Ely Dog Field added that they “immediately provided all assistance that [they] could to support the owners that evening”, after being made aware of a dog being “seriously injured” while at the field.
The statement added: “We were very pleased to receive an update the following day confirming that the beautiful dog had returned home from the vets.
“In line with correct procedure, we followed due process and notified our insurers, who then took over all communication regarding the matter. The insurance company reviewed photos, videos, and a significant amount of documentation and concluded that we are not liable.”
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