A dog owner from Foulridge is warning residents to remain vigilant after her pet’s paw became caught in a rabbit snare.
Rosey Thompson was walking her two Jack Russell Terriers in the early hours of Friday morning when the incident happened.
The animal lover described how one of her dogs, George, began to scream after following a rabbit under a hedge in the village.
She added: “Braving the thorns and prickles, as any dog lover would, I plunged in after him to find out what the trouble was.
“I untangled him, to his relief, and to mine, and thankfully there was no lasting damage.
“I just wanted to warn dog walkers in the area to be extra vigilant while walking their dogs.
“I also wanted to warn those that place these awful snares that they will not be tolerated.”
Animal welfare charity OneKind’s initiative Snarewatch allows dog owners to report rabbit snares in their area.
On the Snarewatch website it states: “We believe that snares should be banned in the UK. To progress towards that goal, we are gathering information about the nature and extent of snaring, and whether current legislation is working to protect animals as it should.
Although we believe that snares cannot be used without causing significant animal suffering, many people, including some politicians, believe that they are necessary and, if not entirely humane, then perhaps “the least inhumane” option available.”