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Subject Topic: warning to dog owners going to France Post Reply Post New Topic
17/8/2015 at 8:28pm
 Location: West Yorks
 Outfit: Coachman Arcadia 860 xcel 2021
View Dobboanddobbo's Profile View Profile   Reply to Dobboanddobbo Reply   Quote Dobboanddobbo Quote  
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Hi I don't like to type negative posts but really need to spread the word of what has just happened to us.

We stopped at a large Aire south of Le Mans on 1st of August and our over excited springer spaniel jumped out of the car before I could get her lead on. She ran to the bushes literally next to the picnic area full of kids and unfortunately had her torso and leg ripped apart by what we can only imagine was some kind of poacher's snare.

2 emergency operations later and countless stitches she is now making a good recovery.

This was an horrendous experience but so so relieved it was her and not one of our young children. The first vet we found said they couldn't treat her because they had too many other similar instances in that day.

Please tell as many people as you know who travel to France with dogs or young children as I really don't want anyone else to have to witness/go through what we did



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17/8/2015 at 9:29pm
 Location: Sheffield
 Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636
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sounds horrible, did you actually see what had injured your pooch?


17/8/2015 at 11:26pm
 Location: Yorkshire
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A snare near picnic area, in an aire?! That's horrendous!

What did the police say?

Hope your poor dog is recovering well. What a thing to happen!


18/8/2015 at 8:36am
 Location: West - North Yorkshire
 Outfit: Swift Speedbird 490 Mondeo Estate
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What a terrible thing to have happened.  I hope the dog is improving now. 

However, you say you can only imagine it was some kind of poacher's snare, but is it possible that a wild boar could have been in those bushes?  They are everywhere in France - even in our village street at night.  They can (and do) cause the most horrible injuries to dogs.  Our friend's dog, in the village where we have a house, was attacked by one in the garden and her leg and under belly ripped apart, down to her internal organs and bone.  This is the second time it has happened to her!  The injuries just sound similar, and sometime boar (when hungry) will seek out the sort of food left around in picnic areas.

Did you mention anything to the management of the Aire?  If you didn't at the time, then it might be an idea to do it now.  They will be aware if anything (poachers or boar) are in the area and be in a position to do something about it.



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18/8/2015 at 12:27pm
 Location: West Yorks
 Outfit: Coachman Arcadia 860 xcel 2021
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Thanks for your replies. The vet said it was definitely a poacher's trap buts something like razor wire. I know next to nothing about these types of contraptions but it was a clean cut like she had been skinned. Sorry to be so graphic. Due to her injuries we literally just tried to make others who were there aware and jumped in the car and set off in search of a vet. We don't even know exactly where we were just that we were not too far south of Le Mans so wouldn't be able to tell the authorities where it happened.

She has had all her stitches removed and is recovering well. Thankfully it just missed her organs and arteries.


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18/8/2015 at 1:26pm
 Location: Near Stand Road Chesterfield
 Outfit: Pilote Reference P716 LPR
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Sorry to hear about the problem.

You may not remember which Aire you stopped, presumably on the Motorways, but you probably remember which way you were heading and that might help identify the Aire for us to be watchful or avoid.

I believe the Law in France says you must post signs if you lay traps where domestic animals and the general public go, I think the signs should say 'piége', but what on earth would anyone expect to trap on an Aire where quite often children play?


18/8/2015 at 9:16pm
 Location: West Yorks
 Outfit: Coachman Arcadia 860 xcel 2021
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I've just had a look at our map but it isn't a hugely detailed one and we were using sat nav at the time. I'm guessing it was the A11 as we had gone passed Le Mans and were heading to the Vendee region. We were on a toll road and the Aire was quite large with no petrol station etc but lots of picnic areas and grassy areas. The road went around in a loop with a grassed picnic area in the middle and on both sides. We parked on the road where we entered it and had grass and picnic tables on the right of us which were lined with bushes and trees which is where it happened.

I have a new car and the boot is on hydraulics so it can open and close remotely. When you open it manually it also opens slowly so the dog jumped out before it got to a height where I could put her lead on. Normally I would have instructed her to stay but we had been travelling for about 18hrs at that point as we had so many hold ups with traffic getting to the tunnel so I was really tired and not thinking straight (you'll be relieved to know I wasn't driving!).

I'm sorry I can't be more specific. To be honest we were just in so much shock and panic that we didn't really pay attention to the details we just needed to get her seen to straight away. My children are 5 and 2 years old and they witnessed it and saw the damage to her so they were obviously really distressed too.


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19/8/2015 at 1:04pm
 Location: S Yorks
 Outfit: Outlander GX3 + Challenger 490 SE
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Try re-tracing your journey on google streetview. it may take a while but I am sure you will spot the area.

Our German Shepherd loves the long grass and bushes etc so will be extra vigilant from now on.


19/8/2015 at 4:00pm
 Location: Near Stand Road Chesterfield
 Outfit: Pilote Reference P716 LPR
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Pruillé-le-Chétif about 15 kms west of Le Mans on the A11 may be the one.


19/8/2015 at 10:03pm
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It does sound like the location from the description.

Are you sure that the dog didn't just run into the chain fencing that surrounds these aires?   Similar to this fence at the aire?

When I was a child I ran into some discarded barb wire, which ripped the skin off my knee cap. I still have the scar.

-------------
Ollie

2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup



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