A LYDNEY woman has made a heartfelt plea for careless litter droppers to think twice after her pet suffered an injury which led to its leg being amputated.
Mrs Julie Farr and her husband took their one-year-old dog Ned for a walk along the Tack near Lydney Docks a few weeks ago.
"After a most enjoyable walk we stopped to admire a heron on the sandbank," she said.
"Ned ran over the bank in front of us only to return in seconds with blood literally pumping from his front leg.
"Between us we managed to carry him back to the car – not an easy task as Ned is quite big – as well as my husband applying pressure to the wound.
"We caught Mark Hinds, the Severnside vet, just as he was leaving the surgery. He conformed our fears – Ned had severed two tendons."
At first it was thought the damage could be repaired with no more than the loss of a toe but unhappily gangrene set in and the dog had to have his leg amputated.
"All this because someone couldn't be bothered to carry their empty glass bottle home but threw it in the grass instead," said Mrs Farr, a relief teacher at Lydbrook School.
And she had this message for the "selfish and lazy" litter droppers: "Please think before you drop your rubbish – it cost us a lot of heartache, money, and Ned a leg."