By Alesha Capone
A pet owner was left with a hefty vet bill after her dog swallowed a baited fish hook at Wyndham Harbour earlier this month.
Petina Stevens said she was walking her border collie Teddy along the pier on March 9, while people were fishing.
Ms Stevens said she has walked Teddy at the site for months but on this particular day, he picked up a baited hook which had been left on the footpath and swallowed it straight away.
Ms Stevens said she grabbed Teddy as three men cut the fishing line, which the hook was attached to.
“From this time I was on my own, I asked for help to drive me back to my car which was over 1.5 kilometres from where I was,” she said.
But all the men said they had no car.
Ms Stevens said that by this time, Teddy was “gagging with pain and choking”.
“I went to the end of the pier, there were three cars there and begged for help,” she said.
But again, no one wanted to help.
Ms Stevens said she had to walk Teddy back to her own car, as he is too big for her to carry.
She rushed Teddy to a Werribee vet clinic, where he was operated on straight away, as the hook was stuck in his throat.
“He is very lucky it never went down to his stomach, as it could have killed him,” Ms Stevens said.
Ms Stevens said Teddy was home and doing well but his surgery cost more than $1500.
“To the man who left the hook in the pathway exposed and baited, if you want your hook back let me know,” Ms Stevens said.
In 2016, Wyndham council launched a campaign calling on people who use waterways to throw litter in bins.
Fishing litter, including discarded hooks and lines, can be detrimental to wildlife and pets.
There are also several ‘Seal the Loops’ fishing line bins located in Werribee South, near the boat ramp and foreshore.
