One dog owner in East Barnet had to fork out hundreds on a vets bill after his pooch suffered an infected ear, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

East Barnet dog and weeds (credit Richard Freedman) — credit Richard Freedman

An East Barnet dog owner has urged Barnet Council to clear more street weeds following a nearly £300 vet visit.

Richard Freedman said grass seeds from overgrown pavement weeds got embedded in his dog’s ear during a routine walk and he consequently had to take the pet for emergency treatment.

Richard, who lives in Haslemere Avenue, claimed three other local dog owners had also experienced “identical problems” with seeds causing “painful injuries” to their dogs’ “ears, eyes, and paws”.

Richard said: “Pet owners are now avoiding certain routes entirely and the problem will only worsen as more grass goes to seed over the summer months. The council has a responsibility to maintain streets safely for all residents, including their pets.”

Richard’s dog had to have four “bits of seeds” removed from its ear and was sedated during the procedure.

When leaving the vet Richard said he spoke to another dog owner who told him their dog had had the “same thing” happen.

Richard said: “Dogs sniff the ground, that’s what they do and the council for some reason has decided not to clear the street of weeds. I walk two miles [during dog walks] and every ten metres or so there are weeds popping up either by the road or all the way through the pavement and I have to struggle to keep my dog from sniffing where the grass seeds are.

“The state of the streets are atrocious.”

A council spokesperson said: “We have a programme to cut grass and remove weeds across the borough. Some areas are left longer to enhance biodiversity, however we are happy to work with dog owners to ensure our environment is safe for all to enjoy.”

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