Hook on the Beach Catches Dog and Owner

A day at the beach with their collie Rosie turns into a trip to the veterinarian for Paul and Miranda Johnson:

We were adjusting to our new home a few days after a military transfer moved us to Sandy Hook, N.J. Our collie Rosie loved running along the beach, chasing seagulls and biting the waves that lapped on to the shore so we made it a habit of taking her there often.

One day she was chasing birds as usual when she suddenly spun around, dropped to the floor and half crawled to Paul. We discovered Rosie’s run had kicked up a treble hook buried in the sand and was now lodged in her hind leg. There was no way of pulling it loose and the veterinarian told us to bring her in right away.

Paul picked up the fifty pound dog, carried her to the car, and got in. It was then that Rosie decided to shift her weight and one of the two remaining hooks that wasn’t lodged in her leg dug into Paul’s arm.

Every time Paul screamed in pain, Rosie would whimper and shift, which caused Paul to yell again. As I tried to keep both parties calm and immobile, one of our fellow Coasties heard the commotion and I told him to call 9-1-1. As we waited for the Parks Service and EMS to arrive, more Coasties took Paul’s vitals and kept him talking while another found wire cutters and cut man and dog free. Luckily the hook had fallen out of Paul’s arm and there was no need for stitches. Still he was taken to the hospital in one direction while I rushed Rosie (still attached to the treble hook) to the animal hospital where we received more good news. The hook was able to be removed without surgery and after a few days Rosie was running around without limping. She developed a fear of the beach for a few weeks but after finding a beach that wasn’t used for fishing, we soon found a safe place for her to chase birds and bite waves again.

I guess the moral of the story is when moving to a new area, be sure the “dog beaches” are safe. And, if you don’t know where the nearest hospital and vet are located, have a GPS handy!