Woman heartbroken after dog's cattle grid death

Jo Waters with her dogs Jimmy and Eva

A "heartbroken" dog owner has called for the removal of a cattle grid after her pet became trapped in it and died.

Jo Waters was out walking between Abergavenny and Llanfoist, in Monmouthshire, when her dog Eva ran off and became caught in the grid.

The seven-year-old family pet was rushed to the vets but did not survive.

Plans for more cattle grids in the area have now been put on pause by Monmouthshire council.

Eva died after breaking her neck in a cattle grid

Recalling the incident, which happened at about 18:00 BST on 28 April, Ms Waters said: "I don’t know if I didn’t see it, or I can’t remember it. I just remember her running off and then going to pick her up.

"There was blood in the corner of her mouth and her head was to one side. The vet said she had broken her neck."

Eva, a schnauzer-poodle cross, was taken to an emergency vet in Newport but could not be saved.

Ms Waters said her other dog, Jimmy, was also injured by the cattle grid and suffered a "graze" on his tummy. She said the animal had been "subdued" since the incident.

Ms Waters said the council should rethink its plans for more cattle grids in the area.

She said dogs are often let off their leads and feared more could be hurt or killed.

"It isn’t just my little dog," Ms Waters said. "I’ve heard of at least one other dog that has broken its leg on there."

Jo Waters has left flowers at the cattle grid, which has since been cordoned off

The cattle grid was installed as part of Monmouthshire council's plan, costing between £750,000 and £1.25m, to improve walking and cycling access along the River Usk.

Ms Waters said she understood the cattle grid was an alternative to gates, which forced cyclists to dismount and could act as a barrier to people using wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

But Ms Waters argued "another kind of gate" would be a better solution.

“I’m not being dramatic but it could easily be a child falling through there, as little children don’t always look where they are going," she said.

"And if I was a cyclist I wouldn’t want to cycle across a cattle grid, especially if it was icy.

"I’m heartbroken and I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else."

Eva's brother Jimmy (right) has been "subdued" since her death

Monmouthshire council’s planning committee had been recommended to approve a plan for more cattle grids in the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But consideration of the application was later postponed following the incident.

A council spokesperson said: "We postponed an item scheduled for Planning Committee which had been intended to consider the future access arrangements for the Castle Meadows in Abergavenny, after a tragic incident last weekend."