IT WAS a tragic accident – but the death of a beloved dog has resulted in thousands of people being made aware of the possible dangers of using an extendable lead.

Bosses at a pet crematorium near Hook helped a family whose dog was killed after its extendable lead failed to work, and the dog ran out into the road and was hit by a car.

Kevin Spurgeon, a partner at Dignity Pet Crematorium, in Odiham Road, posted a warning message about the incident on Facebook, hoping to raise awareness of the dangers of using these leads, and within two days it had reached nearly 200,000 people.

Sally Flanagan, whose 10-year-old Jack Russell Pippin was killed in the accident on May 29, said her 14-year-old grandson had been walking her at the time, using an extendable lead bought around three years ago.

The 64-year-old mother-of-four and grandmother-of-16 said: “We were devastated. My husband has terminal cancer so we are coming to terms with that and then this happened.”

She added: “I would never use one of those leads again.”

After speaking to the family, from Bracknell, Mr Spurgeon immediately posted the warning on Facebook, and said: “This isn’t the first time we have heard of this happening so if you have an extendable lead, please consider only using it away from roads and please share so other people don’t have to go through the same experience in the future.”

He added: “Our thoughts are with the family – this is a tragic accident and there was nothing they could have done – their dog was much loved and will be hugely missed by them.”

Mr Spurgeon told The Gazette he was “amazed” by how many people his post had reached in such a short time, adding: “It just goes to show that Facebook can be used in a positive way.”

He said it was not the first time the crematorium had come across such an incident, and he has now contacted the manufacturers of one of the types of these leads to ask about putting a warning on the packaging to only use them in open spaces.

Dozens of people left comments on Mr Spurgon’s post, with many thanking the crematorium for raising awareness of the issue.

Jo Oliver posted: “So sad. First time I’ve heard of this so thanks for sharing.”

Chris Spears said: “Last month I was walking my dog she ran towards the road and the lock didn’t stop it I was shouting at her to stop my heart was going so fast it scared the life out of me. Now she’s kept on permanent lock and a new lead.”

Stephanie J Jones added: “I use one but will be purchasing a new lead.”