Dog-owner heartbroken as puppy dies after suffering over 200 fractures in horrific road traffic accident

A heartbroken dog-owner has spoken out after her puppy died after suffering more than 200 fractures in a horrific road traffic accident.

Lois Drinkwater said her dog Astra was just one year and eight months old when she was struck by a car in an incident which left the animal with an estimated 20 per cent chance of survival. "She was such a kind and intelligent dog [who] unfortunately lost her life to an avoidable accident,” said Lois.

The incident happened at around 8.45pm after Astra had been out playing fetch on the Civic Centre field in Poulton with Lois' boyfriend, who she described as Astra's "dad".

Lois said: "My boyfriend had just got home from working away, and they went out to play fetch on the Civic Centre field." On the way home, Astra dropped her ball at Jean Stansfield Memorial Park, where it was accidentally kicked into a bush.

“While my boyfriend was helping her find it, she spotted a cat. Cats don’t usually bother her, as we have one at home, but she was about to come into her second heat and her hormones were all over the place."

She said Astra ‘suddenly tried to chase it, and slipped out of James' hand.’ At around 9pm, Lois was in bed at home when she heard a bang followed by her boyfriend screaming. She said: "I heard a bang and my boyfriend scream while I was in bed in the house. I looked out of the window and saw her collapse with a car over her.”

She immediately called the vets while searching for her keys before running outside without shoes. By the time she arrived, neighbours had alerted a police car which had been travelling down the road. The officers stopped the traffic and were also on the phone to the vets.

Lois said: "They told me to get in the car and picked her up and got her in and then blue lighted us all the way to the emergency lanes vets in Garstang. The officer carried her through to the surgery room and she wouldn’t take her eyes off of me."

X-rays revealed Astra had suffered more than 200 fractures, with an estimated 20 per cent chance of survival. Lois’ boyfriend and mum then arrived, while vets told the family Astra's lungs needed draining and advised them to go home while they continued treating her. “I left my T-shirt with her,” said Lois.

But shortly after arriving home, the family received another call telling them they needed to return. Lois said: "She had sever pneumothorax and knuckling in her leg." Vets also told the family they would normally drain between 5ml and 15ml of blood from the lungs, but Astra had more than 300ml.

Lois said: "It was then we made the decision that she had to be put to sleep as she wasn’t fit to travel to a centre that could operate on her and her survival chances were low."

Lois, her boyfriend, mum and older brother surrounded Astra as she was put to sleep. Astra could not lick them because she was unable to open her mouth following the impact. The vets later left the family alone with Astra and made paw and nose prints and jars of fur for them to keep.

Lois, who grew up on the road where the accident happened, has stressed that she does not blame the driver who hit Astra, with the motorist reportedly left traumatised by the incident. "I absolutely do not want him to be targeted or made to feel any worse about what was already a horrific accident,” said Lois.

But she does believe that something should be done to improve safety. She said: "I know from then and from speaking to the neighbours now that minor to major incidents occur on this road daily. We watch parents pull children back and almost get hit when chasing balls down the hill of the park that goes straight down to the road."

She believes a speed camera should be installed, claiming drivers regularly travel significantly above the 20mph limit. "It’s dangerous for other drivers (especially turning onto the road), it’s dangerous for the elderly people that live here, it’s dangerous for the children playing on the park, and it’s dangerous for the pets in the area."