Urgent warning to dog owners after ride in the car left beloved pet paralysed
AN urgent warning has been issued to dog owners after a car ride left a beloved pet paralysed.
Hannah James, 48, from Oldham near Manchester, was devastated when her Shar Pei Ozzy opened the car window with his paws and launched himself out of the window on July 17.
The pooch is now partially paralysed and cannot use his hind legs.
Now Hannah is urging other dog lovers to secure their pet with a secondary seatbelt.
She told NeedToKnow: “Make sure the windows are definitely locked, as I didn’t think my dog would be able to physically open the window himself – but I was wrong.
“I’m so glad that he wasn’t run over or killed, which was a real possibility.
“I was shocked that he didn’t have any open wounds – only a mark near his eye and a couple of scrapes on his legs.
“He had a lot of adrenaline pumping, so the pain was masked.
Regular passenger Ozzy had a seatbelt attached to his harness and a fastened seat cover.
But they became loose and the dog was able to press his paw on the window button – before jumping onto the pavement.
If he had jumped out the other side, he would have been run over within seconds.
Hannah said: “The next night, while letting him out for the toilet, he went to chase after a cat and I think that’s exaggerated his injuries.
“He’s not screaming out in pain, but compared to how he was, this isn’t the Ozzy I know.
“If he starts showing signs of distress and pain, then we’ll need to discuss the possibility of saying goodbye, which would be absolutely devastating.”
A vet told Hannah that a £8,000 MRI scan is needed to find Ozzy’s exact injuries.
She has now launched a GoFundMe page to raise the sum before it is too late for the foolhardy mutt.
It comes after vets issued an urgent warning over a popular household item which could kill your dog.