Plea after dog's fish-hook death

Phillip Lyall has lots of good memories of his friend Loupi (left), who  died after eating a fish...
Phillip Lyall has lots of good memories of his friend Loupi (left), who died after eating a fish hook last weekend. Photo Supplied.
A simple, ''careless'' act has cost a couple their much-loved family pet - and an important link to a daughter who died too young.

Mosgiel couple Cathryn and Phillip Lyall are mourning the loss of Loupi, their highland terrier-collie cross who died after swallowing a fish hook last Friday.

Mr Lyall had been walking Loupi next to the Silver Stream on the northern outskirts of Mosgiel when he noticed the dog had a fish hook in his tongue.

He left him at the vet clinic so the hook could be removed when the veterinarian returned. However, Loupi swallowed the hook and the vet was unable to operate because of where it was lodged. The only option was to put down the dog.

Mrs Lyall said the couple were ''absolutely devastated''.

''We chose him very carefully for my late daughter [Libby] who had an intellectual disability and a mobility problem; we chose this smaller, not very bouncy dog for her and he was her baby.''

Libby died five years ago, a day before her 22nd birthday, and Loupi took it pretty hard.

''Loupi just pined. He slept outside her bedroom door for about three months.''

Loupi and Mr Lyall had since become best friends and Mrs Lyall said her husband was quite upset about his pet's death. She wanted to tell the story about Loupi's death so other family pets would not be hurt or killed by people ''dropping fish-hooks carelessly''.

''We can stop it happening again if they read something in the paper.''

She said a lot of people walked their dogs along the Silver Stream and a smelly fish hook was a dangerous temptation for any dog.

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