Swan attacked by 'dog left off lead' in Dublin park

The bird, who has fondly been named Bonnie by local animal lovers, was “savaged” as it sat in the water at Limekiln Park in Tallaght, Dublin 24 on Sunday afternoon.

A clip of the aftermath is being shared on social media, showing the damage done to the female swan’s breast area.

Its feathers were completely torn out with a large laceration on its torso.

Sharing a video of the incident and the injured swan, animal lover Lisa McAuley, who helped rescue Bonnie and brought her to the vets, wrote online: “So, from doing what is beautifully natural to now fighting for her life, just because a dog owner could not simply keep his dog on a lead.

“Thank you to the centre staff of Kildare Wildlife Rescue and vet Fiona in Greyabbey Vets, this beautiful female swan is being given a chance.

“Absolutely NO NEED for this to happen, keep your dog on a lead near water”.

In another post on Monday, she added: “AGAIN AND AGAIN... Please keep your dogs on leads.

“Beautiful female swan attacked by dog off lead. She is due to lay eggs, so, not just her, but eggs may not be viable due to infection, shock, stress.

“This happened in Limekiln Park yesterday, swan in serious way today. Swans are a protected species. Laws HAVE to be enforced.

“Keep dogs on leads near water, how hard can this be for humans to understand, humans are wildlife’s worst enemy”.