A DOG owner says her pet was castrated by a vet after she took him in to be treated for an ear infection.

Janet Miller said she was furious at the mix-up with her dog, Norman, and is devastated that he will not be able to produce puppies.

Mrs Miller, from Darlington, said the hospital had offered an apology and £100 compensation for the incident in June, which arose after two dogs were booked in under the same name.

She said: "Nothing can compensate for what's happened, especially as we really wanted a pup. No money would be sufficient, but that amount is insulting. He may not be a Crufts dog, but he's adored by us."

She said the mix-up started when she took Norman, an eight-year-old Bedlington terrier, to The Grange Veterinary Hospital, in Darlington, for treatment on his ear. She said: "He went for an operation, but when I went to pick him up, I couldn't believe what I was told.

"Apparently there were two dogs of the same name. He'll never be the same again.

"We'll always love him as the family pet, but what is really upsetting is that we can't ever have a pup."

Mrs Miller was told she had signed a consent form for Norman's castration, although she said she was not told what she was signing.

She said: "I was never asked about castration, I'd have said certainly not. I thought I was consenting to him being given anaesthetic. For something as significant as that, it should be explained."

A spokeswoman for the hospital declined to comment.