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ON THE RIGHT TRACK
A Kent owner, who’d given up hope of seeing her beloved Beagle again following reports he’d been hit by a train, was elated when he was found alive 10 days later.
Spooked by fireworks, two-year-old Ronnie scaled Jo Wackett’s garden gate and bolted.
After posting a plea on social media, Jo was contacted by a train driver, who was convinced he had hit a dog matching Ronnie’s description as his train rounded a bend near High Brooms Station, Tunbridge Wells.
“He was devastated, but I came off the phone with some closure about what had happened,” said Jo, an air stewardess.
“As we assumed the worst, my partner Grant and I told our daughter that Ronnie wasn’t ever coming home. We were all absolutely heartbroken and grieving for him.”
But a few days later, in a bizarre twist of fate, the family received a note saying that their Beagle had been found injured, and taken to a local vet.
Overjoyed to be reunited with his family, Ronnie was thin, covered in cuts, and his left hind leg was badly broken. He was referred to Anderson Abercromby, a veterinary practice specialising in orthopaedic surgery, in Warnham, near Horsham, where surgeon Federico Piccinno was faced with a challenging fracture repair.
X-rays revealed the leg was broken in several places, but metal plates couldn’t be used as the bone and soft tissue had already started to heal. Instead, Federico used a small metal frame, called an external fixator, to realign the bones and keep them in place.
“Ronnie’s injury was caused by a low to medium impact, so it’s possible he could have suffered a glancing blow from a train,” explained Federico. “He could also have been injured if he jumped away from the train at the last minute and fell. His other wounds were very similar to burns or abrasions, which may have been caused by debris flying up from train tracks.”
After 12 weeks of restricted on-lead exercise at home, Ronnie’s leg healed well. A relieved Jo added: “We’re so grateful for everything the team at Anderson Abercromby have done for Ronnie. As well as using their expertise to repair his fracture and make sure he’s got full use of his injured leg, we’ve felt supported and looked after the whole time.”
SURVEY REVEALS SHOCKING LACK OF EAR CROPPING KNOWLEDGE
Most people aren’t aware that cropping a dog’s ears is against UK law, according to research from Battersea.
The animal rescue charity’s su
