A WOMAN has spoken of her anger after her dog’s paw was sliced open on broken glass at a popular nature reserve.

Angie Taylor Spence was walking with Jackson at The Saltings on May 31 when he sustained the injury.

Now Angie has hit out at those responsible in a bid to warn other dog owners.

She told the Post: “We’ve walked our dog in The Saltings every day, sometimes twice a day, for the last five years and there has always been the odd bit of broken glass from when youngsters have gathered at the weekends.

“But since lockdown, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that more and more kids have been using the shore and the canal for outdoor gatherings and for drinking.

“You see them at weekends spilling out of taxis because obviously they’ve had nowhere else to go and word has spread that they should all go there.

“The day we were out walking Jackson, we did see a lot of broken glass, so we got him on a lead and decided to get out of there. It seemed worse than usual.

“But he had already stood on a shard of glass and the pad on his back foot was completely split. We had to take him to the vet and they had to suture it, which cost me £300.”

It is thought Jackson will take between six and eight weeks to recover from the incident.

Angie says the problem has got so bad she won’t risk taking her pet to The Saltings any more.

She added: “It’s a hazard everywhere you go now and it’s really difficult to police it yourself.

“It is at the stage now where we can’t risk taking the dog down there any more.

“I have no issue with kids being there, but it’s the wilful vandalism and smashing up bottles which is making it a hazard for everyone else. It could be a child next. All it takes is for them to fall off their scooter or their bike and on to some glass.

“Jackson is still having his dressing changed every couple of days and he’s on complete rest for two weeks. He’s looking at a six to eight week recovery time.”

A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “We are sorry to hear of this incident, which clearly demonstrates that litter is not just unsightly but can also be dangerous.

“Our teams work extremely hard to keep our parks and streets in good order and are on site for eight hours a day attending to a range of duties including inspection.

“We continue to urge residents to do the right thing and put their litter in the bin after using our parks and open spaces.”