Dog dies after being impaled on spike at popular walking spot

A dog owner was left distraught after her beloved pet had to be put down after suffering catastrophic injuries when it was impaled on a spike during its afternoon walk.
Sproker Sid had to be put down after he was impaled on a spike.Sproker Sid had to be put down after he was impaled on a spike.
Sproker Sid had to be put down after he was impaled on a spike.

Sproker Sid was out with owner Maureen Scharlott, and her other dog, springer spaniel Jasper, when he got caught on a rusty metal spike in the undergrowth.

Maureen had to lift him free of the spike, which had gone through the two-year-old’s ribs, and rushed him to a vet, where he under went surgery for a punctured lung.

Maureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spikeMaureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spike
Maureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spike
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But despite the best efforts of a specialist unit, he had to be put down after his organs began to fail.

Maureen, 66, of West Harton, had been walking along the mineral line between Whiteleas Club and John Reid Road when Sid was injured.

She is now facing paying off a £4,000 bill for the care he was given before it became clear he was not going to recover after a week of veterinary treatment.

Maureen said: “I know people will say ‘you should have had your dog on a lead’ and I understand that, but there was about a million in one chance of this happening and it happened to my dog.

Maureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spikeMaureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spike
Maureen Scharlott and dog Jasper at the location of where her other dog Sid was impaled on a spike

“What if it happened to a child?

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“I just heard a scream and I thought Sid had got a cat, but when I found him, he was lying on his side and he was jerking, so I thought he had broken his leg.

“When I lifted him up I had to lift him off the spike, and I also caught my hand, as there was glass around as well, so I had to go to A&E later on.

“I saw a group of people with kids and black bags picking up litter, and I asked them to help, but I told them to be careful as well.

“I took him along to Blythman Vets in Boldon Lane and they examined him and found the spike had gone through his ribs and punctured his lung so he was sent to specialists in Whitley Bay.

“I visited him every day.

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“They gave him a 48-hour window to see if he picked up, but they said no, his organs were failing and he had to be put down.

“I’m devastated. My dogs are my family.”

Maureen, a retired petrol station clerk who worked at the service station on Boldon Lane before she finished her working life, called South Tyneside Council to raise concerns about the danger posed by the spike, which is thought to have been an old piece of barrier.

“It was on an slight embankment and it was about 12ins long and tapered at the top and wider as it went down,” she added.

“The council didn’t seem interested in where it was. If they’d asked, I would have shown them.”

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The metal spike believed to have caused Sid his horrifying injuries has now been removed, according to council bosses.

After the Gazette contacted South Tyneside Council about the issue, Maureen received a call from the council seeking more details.

It has since launched an investigation into what happened.

A spokesman said: “This is very sad news and our thoughts are with Mrs Scharlott at this difficult time.

“We have been out to visit the mineral line and, in addition to our regular removal of litter and abandoned waste, have undertaken a search of dense shrubbery in the area.
“We have found what we believe to be a support for an old fence post which has rotten away in the dense undergrowth.

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“This post has now been removed and we are continuing our investigations.

“We have been in contact with Mrs Scharlott and will update her on any further findings.”

Maureen added: “He’s not died in vain.

“Something has been done and there’s no potential to cause harm to anyone else.”