Owner's 'heartbreak' as six-month-old dog dies after swallowing fishing hook during Sandbanks walk

  • ITV Meridian's Richard Slee has been speaking to Warren Barcock following the death of his six-month-old puppy Duke.

The heartbroken owner of a dog who died after it swallowed a fishing line hook is warning others to be extra vigilant while walking their pets on beaches.

Warren Barcock's six-month-old French Bulldog Duke, died last weekend after he swallowed the hook while walking on Sandbanks beach.

The hook was removed by a vet, but Duke became very unwell, and died the next day.

Sandbanks is particularly popular with dog walkers. Credit: ITV Meridian

"We'd walked the whole way round on the beach and I was about to walk up the slipway with Duke around 100 yards away, but he wouldn't come to me.

"I walked towards him and thought he was dribbling, but as I got closer, I realised it was a fish line in his mouth.

"I put my hand right down his throat to see if I could see the hook, but I couldn't so I had to run up to the van and drive with him on my lap to bracing his head against my legs so he wouldn't try and chew and swallow the rest of the line."

An X-ray reveals the large hook caught in Duke's throat. Credit: ITV Meridian

Warren rushed Duke to the vets where he was sedated, and then operated on to remove the hook.

The operation was successful, but the next day Duke was very unwell and died.

"He was just walking around aimlessly. There was a lot of violent sickness.

"He died while I was just stroking him."

Despite the operation to remove the hook proving a success, Duke became unwell afterwards, and died the next day. Credit: ITV Meridian

Warren says he now wants to raise awareness about the dangerous debris left on beaches.

"Obviously even in a child or human foot it's still going to be pretty tragic." Warren added.

"So all I ask is if everyone could be a bit more vigilant - it's not just hooks, it could be beer bottle tops or anything."

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Local fisherman Nee Rajan says the majority of fishermen he knows are responsible with their hooks, but dogs which are not on leads are attracted to the bait.   

"Owners should have the dogs on leads around here and they should know fishermen when they are around should have some kind of hooks and bait around them."

Beach cleaner Glandon Jones said: "You never know what you're going to find or what gets washed up. 

"You get broken glass, a lot of people come down as weekends and smash - I find glass on the beach which I have to clean up. 

"Some people just don't think."