Shocked Darlington vets rescue dog after tree impales its chest

Guapo, a Bodeguero Andaluz, was in woodland near Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, with owner Karen Bygate when he ran into a fallen poplar tree and impaled himself on a branch.

The force he hit the tree meant a large branch became lodged inside his stomach. Karen acted quickly and rushed him to Darlington Vet Clinic in a desperate bid to save his life.

“He just did this enormous yelp, I ran to him, and he was crying,” Karen recalled. “He’s quite a heavy dog and I got this sudden urge to lift him up and carry him.

“I phoned my husband and said, ‘there’s been an accident, a stick has gone through Guapo’s chest’ and he could tell by my voice I was panicking.”

But it was Karen’s quick-thinking which vets say ultimately saved his life.

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Karen with five-year-old Guapo  

To their relief, the branch had not entered his chest cavity and it was carefully removed under anaesthetic, with the wound carefully cleaned and stitched up by the faultless professionals.

Karen, 54, is undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, which returned this year after initially being diagnosed in 2019, and emotionally told of the bond between her and Guapo.

It was in the car on the way to the vets where she pleaded with Guapo to stay with her despite his life-threatening injuries.

Karen said: “I was saying to him ‘don’t die on me Guapo, I need you’. He’s been there for me throughout my treatment and someone I’ve gone out on lots of walks with.

“I did think he would die because I didn’t know the scale of his injuries and I kept talking to him saying ‘I don’t want you to die’.”

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Guapo has been left with stitches and a large scar on his stomach after the incident

With five-year-old Guapo in shock, the vets rushed him to theatre to carry out emergency surgery to remove the large branch which was lodged in his stomach. But the anxious wait was excruciating for Karen, who feared the worst.

Recalling the moment, she said: “It was awful; I was devastated and crying a lot. It was a big relief when the vet came out and said everything was ok. They are absolutely brilliant, incredible people.

Guapo, which translates to Handsome in Spanish, has retained his charming looks despite a large scar on his stomach and is recovering at home.

Darlington Vet Clinic have already ruled Guapo’s injuries as their ‘case of the year’ and were delighted to share the news of his healthy recovery.

“Such a freak accident but thankfully Gorgeous Guapo has the best parents who knew exactly what to do,” they added.

Guapo is recovering at home after the shock incident

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