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24
Jul 2024
Investigation launched after ‘dog hit with shovel’ claim on Harrogate line
Network Rail has opened an investigation following reports an employee struck a dog with a shovel at a train station on the Harrogate line.
The Stray Ferret contacted the public body responsible for the rail network, after being given a description of the alleged incident by a source.
According to the source, the dog was injured on the line at Weeton Station on Sunday, July 14.
They added:
This employee instead of rescuing the injured dog and taking it to a local vet has then decided to carry out an horrendous act of violence against the dog and strike it over the head with a metal shovel in front of a train filled with passengers and the driver of the train.
The person added it was an “absolutely disgusting act of violence and something that shouldn’t be tolerated”.
We put the allegations to Network Rail and asked what action, if any, it was taking.
The organisation replied in a statement that it was “carrying out an internal investigation into an animal-related incident on the Harrogate line”.
The statement also included the following quote from a Network Rail spokesperson:
Animals getting onto the railway can have devastating consequences for owners and cause significant delays for passengers. Last year saw almost 1,500 incidents of animals on the line causing over 1,000 hours of delays. We strongly urge animal owners to be mindful of the dangers posed by trains, and never to follow their animals onto the tracks.
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