A dog could have “bled out” and died in Whittington Park after suffering a gash to its knee on a metal wall.
Tarquin the greyhound, five, injured himself on a sharp piece of metal protruding from the gabion and required surgery.
His owner, Anna Parker, now wants the gabions, which are the cage-like structures lining the park, to be removed.
“He ran towards me and clipped his leg and it ripped his skin and his muscle,” said Anna. “It’s such a nasty wound so he could have lost his leg or bled out in the park. The cut was so close to his artery.”
Anna took Tarquin to the vets, where he had multiple stitches on a hanging flap of skin, about 3in by 1in in size.
“The vet was shocked that something like this could have happened in our local park,” said Anna.
“I would like the gabions removed but if that’s not possible due to money then there are other options. They could do something to make sure there aren’t sharp rods of metal sticking out.”
She has approached Barry Emmerson, head of parks for Islington Council, who said: “When the report of the unfortunate injury to your dog came in, we immediately had the gabions inspected to see if any defects could be located.”
Mr Emmerson added: “Given the low overall risk posed by the gabion system, (which is used in parks, homes and communal spaces across the country), we do not feel that they present a significant risk to people and animals using the park to warrant removal.”
He said the gabions were installed in 2010 and this was the first reported dog injury.
But Anna, whose pet has now recovered after the incident last month, said: “I don’t want to go back to the park because my dog isn’t safe there.”
A town hall spokesperson said: “We were very concerned by the injury to Tarquin, and we wish him a fast and full recovery.
“We’ve found no obvious defects, and the gabions appear to be in good repair.
“We will now be carrying out a more detailed inspection to see if any changes can be made to reduce the risk of injury.
“We do not plan to remove or cover the gabions at this stage.”
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