Another swan attacked by dog on Stanley Park and 'hit with bricks' by youths: wildlife rescuers beg public to respect the birds and keep dogs on leads

The 11 year old swan had a bite mark under her feathers, a bleeding foot, and was in clinical shock when rescuers picked her up on May 15.

She had been living in the fountain pond in the Italian Gardens, away from the other swans, when the attack happened – and would have likely died without treatment.

Mel Greenhalgh, who runs Brambles Wildlife Rescue, said: “We are only in May and this is the second swan we have treated with injuries from dogs. This one nearly died and if we hadn't helped she would have passed away without question. We also had a report of children throwing bricks at him, because he couldn’t move and was weak after.”

The bird, named Jesse, is now recovering from her injuries after a course of injections, funded by donations. She’s said to be looking ‘much brighter’.

The charity are appealing to the public – especially dog owners – to be considerate of birds and wildlife while visiting the parks in Blackpool.

Mel added: “Please remember it's the home of the wildlife. It reduces unnecessary stress and harm when dog owners keep their dogs on leads in areas populated with wildlife (such as squirrels, swans, other waterfowl, birds) and prevents injury. The park has CCTV and we are regularly in touch with the council to review CCTV recordings with a view to pursuing prosecution in cases where wildlife are injured.”