For those of you that aren’t aware of this, dog faeces can have serious consequences if it comes in to contact with a person’s eye. I remember when I was a young lad, my mother always used to warn me to stay away from dog mess if I ever spotted it; warning me that I could go blind if I get it in my eyes. And let’s face it – it’s easy enough when you’re a kid to end up on the ground.
Because of the dangers, most public areas have signs up advising of fixed penalties in place for anyone who doesn’t clear up their dogs mess. Yet sadly, there are some dog owners that just don’t take heed of the warnings, and do not care for the potentially serious consequences. And this next tragic story from the Daily Mail is an example of consequences that can occur.
According to the source/, youngster Aimee Langdon could end up blind after contracting a rare infection from dog faeces in a playground. The report advises that surgeons will be forced to remove Aimee’s eye if the antibiotics do not stop the spread of the infection before it reaches her brain.
Aimee was diagnosed with toxocariasis after she fell over in a park and landed on the mess, and wiped her left eye causing the contact. The photograph from the source clearly shows the extent of the suffering, with swelling and discolouration abundant around the eye. This has sadly led to a condition known as optical lobe cellulosis, which can lead the suffer to go blind –and can even be fatal.
Her mother is understandably furious at this tragic event – she is reported to have said “Amiee’s condition is the consequence of some thoughtless dog owner.” And it clearly is. There is also reportedly a sign in the area stating no dogs – yet some thoughtless owner has not only ignored the sign, but not even bothered to clear up the dogs faeces. Calls are being made for councils to get tough on the issue – although with the recession and the cuts to public spending, it sounds like a difficult task to achieve. The case clearly shows there is a need for greater awareness of the dangers dog mess can lead to.
It’s a tragic story to hear of. Aimee and her family now have a tough few days waiting on their hands before the extent of the damage can be fully assessed. I sincerely hope her recovery is a positive one – and I hope this comes as an important warning to dog owners out there.
It’s not hard to clear up dog mess. So just do it – and think of youngsters like Aimee before you consider lazily leaving any faeces your dog has left behind.
