Woman left 'heartbroken' as beloved horse dies after being bitten by dog

A woman has been left ‘heartbroken’ after her beloved horse had to be put down following a dog attack.

Sarah Lord-McLaughlin, from Middleton, was riding her 11-year-old horse Frank on a bridleway in Birtle, near to Ramsbottom in Bury, on the morning of March 7 when they passed a man with a border collie on a lead. Within moments, she said the dog ‘jumped up and bit’ Frank on the leg.

“The dog was on a lead but was on the inside of the man and alongside Frank,” Sarah recalled. “Within a split second the dog jumped up and bit Frank at the top of his leg causing a nasty puncture wound.”

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Sarah took Frank back to her yard following the attack, where she said the dog owner just ‘stood there and watched’, and cleaned him up. The next day, his shoulder was swollen and required urgent medical treatment.

Frank initially seemed to respond well to a course of antibiotics prescribed by a vet, but later developed an infection. His condition continued to deteriorate and a decision to put him down was made last Monday (April 4).

Sarah, who had Frank for five years and who was also looked after by her partner Liam and son Joe, 17, said her family have been left ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by the passing of Frank.

“He could not get over the infection from the bite and it had spread right through his body,” Sarah explained. “We are all so heartbroken. We worked with the vets from the start to try and make him better but on Monday he just could not walk. We also have another pony Stanley who is missing his partner in crime a lot. I’m absolutely heartbroken.”

Sarah is now hoping the owner of the dog will come forward. While