Pup left fighting for life after dog attack in Broadstairs now on the road to recovery

Pauline and Saskia are delighted to have Toffee back home

A pup left fighting for his life after being mauled by an Akita dog in Broadstairs is now home and on the road to recovery.

Toffee, a 13 week old spaniel pup, had to be taken to a specialist unit in Cambridge after the attack in Edge End Road, Broadstairs, on April 26.

Although vets stopped internal bleeding, his back legs were paralysed, his right lung collapsed and was leaking air into his chest cavity and he had fractured ribs, two fractures in his spine, and two broken toes. He was also suffering pneumonia.

Toffee’s owner Pauline Lemon, who has called for the Akita to be taken away from the property to a secure kennels, said it was only the second time she had taken the pup out.

She and her nine-year-old daughter Saskia feared Toffee would not pull through but vets first at Briar House and then at the specialist unit in Cambridge have saved him and he is now back home.

Pauline said: “We couldn’t be happier. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster over the last seven days, but he is where he belongs, at home. He is a little unsettled and very very frustrated, he sees his brother Covie and all he wants to do is run and play. To him he is a puppy and has no injuries.

“We have an incredible long journey ahead. for the next four weeks Toffee must remain in his crate recovering and not getting stressed, he will require physiotherapy and hydrotherapy as well as behavioural therapy. He will go back to the specialist vets for a check up in a few weeks, but they are very very hopeful.

“He has come along leaps and bounds, I couldn’t believe it when they bought him to me and he was walking with a sling. He has grown so much in one week, but he has lost a lot of weight, mostly muscle.

“He is just the most happiest puppy ever and we are so happy to have him home.”

A petition asking for the Akita to be removed urgently has gained more than 5,500 signatures in a week.

An appeal has also been made on the Missing Dogs and Strays Thanet facebook page for people to get in contact if they have Ringdoor bells/CCTV, or were driving and have dashcam footage that may show the attack or the lead up to it.

Find the facebook page here

A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police is investigating a report that a woman was bitten by a dog at around 8.45am on Tuesday 26 April in Edge End Road, Broadstairs. It is reported that the woman’s own dog was also injured during the attack. Enquiries are ongoing into the incident.”

The crime reference is 46/78425/22 for anyone who witnessed the incident and wants to contact police.

Find the petition here

11 Comments

  1. My dog is always on a lead in public. When other dogs come over she can be very temperamental. When you ask people to call their dogs lots of owners come out with sarcastic comments whilst some happily call their dog but then you get the ones that will go crazy and have a right go at you. By order dogs have to be ON A LEAD on beaches and in parks.

    • I’m absolutely thrilled that Lilly has returned back when a week ago this was possibly looking unlikely .
      It just shows how resilient animals can be .
      I hate to think how much the vets bill is finally going to be at the end of treatment but for now let’s just be pleased that Lilly is getting better and has a good long term prognosis for her recovery .

    • Lily , Why have dogs got to be on a lead on the beach specifically ? Especially when it isn’t law !
      The important thing that dog owners need to do at all time is to make sure at all times their dog is under control and not causing any problems to other people , like jumping up at people , which btw , they can still do on a lead !

  2. has any successful prosecution been brought about – or is that a silly question around here ?

      • Erm …”A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police is investigating a report that a woman was bitten by a dog at around …”

  3. As I previously mentioned the police should prosecute the owner of the attacking dog for Criminal Damage of Toffee’s owners property! As the owner had pet insurance the company should be encouraged to recover the Vets Bills! Don’t let the police try and fobb you off with excuses, this is Criminal Damage, as well as an injury to the owner.

  4. I so empathise with this lady and wish Toffee a full recovery. My Italian sheepdog was attacked by a labradoodle in Royal Esplanade Ramsgate at the weekend and the owner said it doesn’t happen very often and had a go at me for having OUR dog on a lead!! A lovely couple stopped to check we were okay. It’s disgusting and the labradoodle owner should be ashamed of both her and her dogs actions – she still refused to put her dog on a lead and walked off with no apology!

  5. This couldn’t care less attitude appears to be rife nowadays! Yesterday I needed a taxi to take me to the QEQM for an appointment early in the morning. The taxi arrived and so did a scaffold companies truck, which parked bang in the middle of the road! No men could be seen, so with great skill the taxi driver managed to reverse out of my road! And don’t get me started on litter! What is it with people who think they can just throw their litter into the street, including cans and bottles? We are going back to the Dark ages!

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