A SUMMER picnic for a Tavistock family ended in disaster last week, after their pet labrador was attacked ? by a squirrel. Alison Campbell took her daughter Ellie, ten, and dog Carl, for a picnic lunch at Double Waters, just outside Tavistock, along with a friend and her two young children. After lunch, the party embarked on the steep trek up the hill from the River Walkham, when the attack occurred. Alison said: ?We were in front of the kids and suddenly Carl saw a squirrel and chased it ? the next thing we knew, this squirrel was hanging off his neck. ?It must have been hanging on for about 30 seconds ? he was absolutely frantic, he was running around like some crazed loony, barking like mad and at first I couldn?t see he?d actually been hurt, I was just thinking ?How on earth do we get this squirrel off him?.? Alison, a nurse, and friend Sandra, ran to Carl and realised he had been seriously injured by the squirrel. ?He had this massive gash just underneath his neck. It was completely open, absolutely filthy and right down into the muscle ? I?ve seen some things, but this was absolutely horrible, I felt quite sick,? said Alison. ?By this time, the children were crying and we were in a complete state of panic.? Alison said Sandra went on up the hill with the children to fetch the car while she tried to calm the terrified dog, surrounded by all their picnic gear. ?Then this really lovely guy came along with his dog. His dog actually seemed to calm Carl down, which was lucky because there was no way I could have carried him up the hill. ?This guy took all our bags up for us and we managed to walk Carl up to the car,? Alison said she was in such a panic about the dog, she did not think to thank the man or take his phone number. ?I?d really like to thank him ? he was so good, he really restored my faith in human nature,? she said. Alison then drove Carl, who is two years old, straight to Westmoor Veterinary Centre. ?I went pelting in looking crazy, saying: ?My dog?s been attacked by a squirrel!? ? they must have thought: ?This woman has really lost the plot!?,? said Alison. Vet Chris Jones took Carl straight into surgery, where he was cleaned and stitched up and a drain inserted. Vet Chris Jones said it was ?very unusual? for a squirrel to attack a dog ? and even more unusual to have done so much damage. ?I?ve probably come across one or two that have little puncture holes, but never a big tear like that,? he said. ?It would have been done by his teeth to cause that sort of damage. They can cut their way through tough nutshells, so a dog?s skin would be easy.? Chris said the squirrel?s natural reaction would have been to run away, so in this case, the frightened animal had probably been cornered. ?If we have them in the surgery, we have to wear thick leather gloves ? they have pretty powerful mouths and they will use them,? he said.
