On November 27, a fish hook got caught in the miniature schnauzer’s leg when she was exploring the seawall rocks along the Coastal Pathway.
The seawall is a popular fishing spot, especially on weekends. In an even more serious incident in June, Porscha swallowed a fish hook on the same stretch of pathway.
“I felt sick to my stomach. I know what it’s like to get a fishing hook in your finger, but to have it stuck down your throat, I was thinking the worst the whole time,” Hewitt said.
Expecting his 13-year-old dog to need surgery, Hewitt is grateful vets managed to remove the hook with medical pliers under anesthesia.
Porscha made a quick recovery on both occasions.
Mt Pleasant resident Wayne was walking his dog Sophie opposite Te Raekura Redcliffs School when she was injured by hooks to the nose, leg and chest.
Wayne said the dog, also a miniature schnauzer, got tangled in fishing line left on the footpath, causing the hooks to pierce into her.
“It was a hell of a shock to us. I couldn’t even get her to move because that was only getting the hook in her nose to dig in further,” he said.
Wayne took Sophie to the vet and she has since recovered from her injuries.
“Everyone has a responsibility to take their own rubbish home with them to look after the coastal environment,” said Wayne.
He said dog walkers have been trying their best to clean up the hooks and lines themselves.
“It’s a real major problem for us walkers. We can only do so much, but we try do what we can to pick the rubbish up.”
Not wanting to cast blame on all fishers in the area, Hewitt said he does not take issue with most of the hobbyists.
“I like watching fishermen catch fish, it’s quite interesting. It’s not so cool when they leave their rubbish behind.”
Hewitt believes part of the problem is the lack of rubbish bins along Beachville Rd.
City council ranger Robbie Hewson said “adding rubbish bins wouldn’t necessarily fix the problem”.
He said rubbish bins could encourage more dumping on the road. Redcliffs resident Faye Ryan walks her friend’s dog on Beachville Rd every day.
She warns as many walkers as she can of the threat to dog safety in the area.
“It’s just about making people aware of all the fish hooks down there. It’s just about all you can do really.”
Ryan recommends dog walkers use leads when on Beachville Rd. Going forward, Hewson said council rangers will monitor the issue over summer.
He said staff will pick up any fishing rubbish they find and remind fishers in person of their responsibility to keep the area tidy.
