12 October 2023 , 16:43
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A dog walker says she's "lucky to be alive" after an aggressive cow charged at and headbutted her during a countryside walk.
Cathrene Mieras was ambling through a field in Cumbria last month and had put the family pooch on a lead. The 26-year-old was lost in a podcast when she suddenly saw to her horror that one of the nearby grazing cattle was rampaging towards her.
Terrified Cathrene had no time to escape and within a split-second the 70 stone beast struck - headbutting her twice and leaving her with a "monster" black eye and "wonky" face. Screaming in pain, Cathrene believes her cries startled the heifer which then slunk off.
Catherene, an environment officer from Carlisle, was relieved to see the family's collie was safe, and staggered away from the field frantically calling her family for help. She was rushed to hospital where she was x-rayed and given medication for the pain.
Incredibly, Cathrene managed to escape without any broken bones, and is now recovering with a gruesome black eye. She also suffered jaw pain so severe she couldn't eat, living on smoothies for two weeks.
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Cathrene's messy eye injury after the attack (Kennedy News and Media)
She was walking her family dog on its lead through a public field last month when it happened (Kennedy News and Media)But the fitness enthusiast didn't let her injury hold her back placing third in a CrossFit competition and half marathon just three weeks later. Now Cathrene is urging others to stick to public footpaths as she did and avoid near the animals if they have 'any doubt in their minds'.
"I thought it was going to kill me," she said. "It's the most scared I've been in my entire life. I started walking into the field, and the next thing I remember is I looked up, because I was looking down at the dog saying 'good boy', and this big brown cow was just charging towards me.
"It dipped its head and headbutted me twice. The last thing I remember is this massive head hitting me. It was just that one cow on its own. I don't remember how it got off me, I think I just screamed." She added: "If there's any doubt in your mind, or if you have a fear of cows, just avoid them."
A keen walker, Cathrene says she has never previously been bothered about cattle or horses, and always sticks to official footpaths and keeps her dog on the lead near livestock. However, she believes the hot weather on the day she was attacked on September 4 may have meant the cows were more aggressive than usual.
Cathrene feels lucky to be alive (Kennedy News and Media)
She was left with a 'monster' black eye (Kennedy News and Media)At Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, Cathrene was given painkillers through an IV drip, before being sent for an x-ray. She said: "They couldn't see anything on the x-ray thankfully, it was just really really swollen so they booked me in for a follow-up appointment.
"It was two days before I could open my eyes again. It was more the development of the bruise in the days after that was more shocking because it just seemed to get worse. When my eye opened it was full of blood and you could see the visible swelling on my jaw and this big lump on my eye. I still have numbness now, I don't have sensation in my face."
Cathrene is now trying to put the attack behind her, but admitted she was still afraid of going into any field with cows. She said: "It's going to be a long time before I can be around them, I'm lucky to be alive. Apart from the fear of cows, I just forced myself to get out and about again. It puts into perspective how amazing your own body is at adapting and overcoming."