DOG owners have been issued an urgent warning after a pair of puppies were left seriously injured after going for a walk.
Cavapoos Mabel and Ralphee were enjoying a run around in a park in Portslade, Sussex, when they were struck down by a little-known danger.
The pooches were scrambling through the overgrown green space and picked up some small, but dangerous, hangers-on.
Mabel's owner Jacqui Hayes told The Argus: "It was incredibly stressful.
"When we got back from the park she had a sleep and she was really distressed.
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"When she woke up she had blood all down her face."
It turned out that she had managed to get a grass seed stuck in her eye, causing the horrible wound.
The seeds are barbed with little hooks to help them cling onto animals, which is how they spread, but these can seriously hurt sensitive areas.
Mabel ended up having to be taken to a "supervet" in Buckinghamshire and operated on to remove the seed.
Jacqui added: "It happens every year. My other dog, Noodle, had some in her ear last year.
"People need to know that their dogs aren’t safe there. I’m not taking my dogs there any more."
Likewise, Mick Gurthrie's pup Ralphee caught a seed in his ear, as well as "about 50" all over his fur.
Mick recalled: "We thought we had got everything but he was yelping. He is part of the family and you get emotionally invested, it’s quite traumatic for him and us."
He claimed that he had to shell out £700 on treatment and joined Jacqui in urging the local council to keep the grass properly cut in the park.
The authority has turned sections of the park into a wildflower meadow and the grass has been allowed to grow as part of a council project to encourage biodiversity.
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A spokesperson for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We believe these injuries are likely to have been caused by barley grass seeds.
"Barley grass has been growing in verges across the country for a long time now. It is naturally occurring and is something we cannot eliminate.
"The issue of dogs occasionally being injured by barley grass is a national issue in dry conditions."
They urged dog owners to keep their pets on a lead and be aware of where they are walking.
However, they rubbished any suggestion of temporary signs warning of the issue, saying that the problem is seasonal and that there is "no significant risk" for most of the year.
It comes after pet-lovers were warned over a potentially deadly threat to their furry friends, after one family's day at the beach ended in tragedy.
