A BESOTTED dog owner has urged the driver who accidentally run over her and her husband’s new puppy to not blame himself for the horrific ordeal.

Mrs Mary Davies, 64, of Holland-on-Sea, and husband Ron, 66, were taking their 8-month-old Cavachon dog Benji for a walk earlier this year in New Pier Street.

Shortly into their jaunt, however, the cute pooch’s extendable leash suddenly unlocked as he excitedly tried to pull his owners across the road.

Benji then unsuspectingly darted into the street before being hit by oncoming traffic.

As a result of the impact, Benji suffered two breaks to his pelvis but fortunately survived his horrific injuries following stints at Colchester’s emergency vet and Dick White’s Veterinary Hospital.

Mrs Davies said: “Our instant reaction to the accident was horror because we thought we had lost our fluffy little puppy.

“We lost our previous dog, a border terrier named Bonnie, last September and we were so upset because our house felt so empty.

“Benji is loved so much by everyone – especially our 8-year-old granddaughters.”

Two months on from the potentially fatal accident, adorable Benji has responded positively to treatment.

He is said to be showing consistent signs of making a full recovery and is expected to sustain no lasting effects of his injuries.

But Mrs and Mr Davies, who have lived in the area for more than three years, are now worried that the driver of the vehicle that hit Benji might still be reeling with guilt.

The pup-loving partners now want to reach out to the driver to assure him that, despite the initial trauma, there was a happy ending and he was never at fault.

Mrs Davies said: “We were far too shocked to get any details from the driver, but he took us straight to our car with Benji so we could then rush him to the emergency vet.

“The driver of the car was distraught and he was so very upset.

“I want him to have peace of mind and know that Benji survived.

“It was not his fault at all and he wasn’t to blame – it was just a freak accident.”