Retractable Dog Lead Severs Finger

[BeeJay]

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(w00t) (w00t)

Personally I never use them.

Retractable dog lead severs finger

 

[Janimal]

Ugggg - (w00t) OMG Ive just been walking a huge chocolate labrador for a friend with one of those this morning

Used to have one for my old dog till it broke then never bothered replacing it. Prefer a normal leader myself. :thumbsup:

 

[OEH]

I never use them either. Poor old Nana (always in the wars) saw a friend and rushed off to say hello (flat out, not looking where she was going, not listening) and ran straight into his lead (he was at its furthest stretch). She simply hadn't seen it. She had a bruise about 4" long and 1" wide that stuck out by about 1/2" on the insede of a front leg and a raw burn all the way down her tummy and inside back leg. She didn't squeel and never went lame, but oooooooooow (my reaction)

 

[Janimal]

Awwww poor nana - bet that wasnt much fun.

 

[chelynnah]

the story's gone

Wendy

 

[OEH]

the story's gone
Wendy

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Try again, I think its still there :thumbsup:

 

[chelynnah]

this is what I get every time

Sorry, the page you requested was not found.

The story or page you were trying to access may have expired.

If you are having trouble locating a destination on Yahoo! News, try visiting the Yahoo! News home page or browse through the News site index. Also, you may find what you're looking for if you try searching below.

Wendy

edited to say that I found the story by using the search on the not found page

 

[kris]

ive just been on and got it straight away.i have to use flexi lead cos my dogs wont come back if they are off the lead! (w00t) you cant train shibas like other breeds they just dont listen!all my other dogs were safe to let off but not these.so unfortunately i have to use them.ive not had an accident with one ................yet. :unsure:

 

[Nicola]

I have to use them a lot for my two, 'cos most places in the Peak Park are riddled with sheep :angry: . I do take them to sheep free zones to let them run off lead regularly, but most of my rambles are over moorland where sheep abound, so it does give them a little bit of freedom to go on ahead or hang back and sniff things out.

Fred's a lot better than he used to be, now he's a staid old gent, but i still don't entirely trust him not to chase sheep, so if I'm ever unsure he's straight back on the extending lead.

 

[whippetmad]

i don,t like the dam things :rant: i know of a couple of cases were dogs had got killed due to a fault in these things.

 

[Juley]

I got the liiiink, ner ner ner ner ner!! Sorry had to get that off my chest! Actually I saw a warning about them some time ago on another list. I do use them occasionly, but am very careful!!

 

[dawn]

Won one once and promptly gave it away.

IMO they are NOT suitable for whippets

 

[kirsty]

That is an awful story.

I have one for Megan, a couple of weeks ago a springer spaniel came running up to her and she ran forward as fast as she could to get away from it and my finger got jammed into the flex as it went to full extension, it was rather painful I can't let her off if there are other dogs around, as she runs away from them if they come running up to her and I'm petrified she runs out of the park etc and under the wheels of a car. So I do find them useful in the park for her to get more freedom, when she is on the lead.

Kirsty

 

[Zoe G]

I hate them too. My whippet Frank built up such a phobia of them he'd freak out if he saw or even heard one!

 

[Juley]

Won one once and promptly gave it away.
IMO they are NOT suitable for whippets

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I used it on my Terrierist! (w00t) :lol:

 

[Julie D]

aren't the dangerous ones those made of cord, I've just oredered an all tape one in bright red so people can see it, I know dogs probably won't take note, thought it would be useful 'til Ella has learnt recall ( if ever ) :- "

 

[Nicola]

Yes the bright tape ones are definitely safer. I have to add I don't use mine for daily walks locally or near the road, only for weekend rambles over moorland. I think young dogs that run around a lot are at risk of injuring themselves with these leads, but if you have older ones that just enjoy a good sniff and a stroll they are OK.

Couldn't read the article, so i'm not sure how it happened, but i could hazard a guess. :unsure:

 

[chelynnah]

Yes the bright tape ones are definitely safer. I have to add I don't use mine for daily walks locally or near the road, only for weekend rambles over moorland. I think young dogs that run around a lot are at risk of injuring themselves with these leads, but if you have older ones that just enjoy a good sniff and a stroll  they are OK.
Couldn't read the article, so i'm not sure how it happened, but i could hazard a guess.  :unsure:

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the dog saw something and made a run for it and it wound itself around the woman's finger while the dog dragged her

Wendy

 

[BeeJay]

Sorry I would have copied on to here but I had problems doing earlier. :b

>A popular dog leash has a history of safety issues, a NewsCenter 5 investigation has revealed

NewsCenter 5 consumer reporter Susan Wornick said retractable dog leashes are popular because they give pets plenty of freedom, but Heather Todd and her dog, Penny, won't ever use one again after a horrible experience last month at the beach.

"All of a sudden, the dog saw something and just bolted. I was totally unprepared and was pulled forward," Heather Todd said.

Todd remembers being dragged along the beach, the cord wrapped around her finger, then hitting the sand face-first.

"The leash finally let go, and I looked up and saw my fingertip right there in the sand. I looked down in the sand and said, 'Uh oh,'" she said.

Doctors couldn't reattach Todd's finger.

"I lost the finger right before the first knuckle," said Todd.

The leash in question was made by Flexi. NewsCenter 5 found a Boston attorney who said Flexi leashes have a history of safety problems including at least two other severed fingers in Massachusetts.

"This has happened enough times that it makes me think that the leashes are unsafe," said Michael Bogdanow, a product liability attorney.

Bogdanow sued Flexi on behalf of a client in 1996. The company denied liability, but agreed to a cash settlement and now clearly identifies the hazards in its packaging.

"If Flexi has reached the point that it is putting that on its packaging, then clearly there have been a number of these types of accidents because it can't be good for business to have packaging say you might have a piece of your fingered severed," said Bogdanow.

NewsCenter 5 called Flexi and they said, "retractable leashes have to be used in accordance to their instructions," and added that "millions of dog owners use our products safely every day." But they couldn't say how many times people have been hurt.

So NewsCenter 5 turned to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC doesn't log the manufacturers, but NewsCenter 5 found reports of problems and severed fingers across the country. There have been nearly 30 serious incidents since 2002. The CPSC can't say if any were caused by Flexi. CPSC has never ordered a recall or even a design change, so Todd is trying to warn people.

"I'm angry and I'm hoping something good can come from my accident in letting people know to beware," said Todd.

While the manufacturer points to the safety information, Todd pointed out that her leash was borrowed and she never saw the packaging and wonders if most people do