Pets & Animals

Dogs Eat Meat Containing Nails, Glass

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Authorities are investigating after they say somebody left meat containing ground up glass and nails in a North Side woman's yard for her dogs to eat.

A veterinarian was able to induce some of the material out of one of the dogs, a beagle. But he says the other, a husky, may need surgery.

Meanwhile, dogs' owner, Deborah Rogers, says she isn't sure she can afford it.

"I don't know where to get the money from. I don't know how to get the money," Rogers told KDKA. "I don't want to see them die."

The dogs, Shadow and Pepper, are now being treated by Dr. Kenton Rexford after x-rays showed nails and glass in the abdomens of both dogs. Officials say the material was hidden within balls of meat patties left in Rogers yard.

She had one question on the way to the vet once she realized the meat was put there on purpose.

"What kind of sick unit would destroy and torture and kill an animal for no reason," said Rogers. "They are very loving dogs."

Rexford says the options for treatment are tricky because inducing the material through the throat could cause different problems.

"As that glass or that nail comes through the esophagus, if there was no damage when it went down, are you then creating damage when you bring it back out?" said Dr. Rexford. "Yes, definitely that is a risk."

Right now, doctors say Pepper, the beagle, could be on the road to recovery after it was able to bring up the material.

But doctors say Shadow, the husky, was able to bring up a lot of material, but there's still foreign material.

"One nail and it looks like some glass remaining in her stomach so we may have to make a decision about doing something a little more aggressive, perhaps endoscopy, perhaps surgery," said Rexford.

He also says one of the newest organizations set up to help people like Rogers with emergency expenses like these is a group called the Animal Care and Assistance Fund.

If you would like to help:
Animal Care and Assistance Fund
c/o Robert A Meeder, 4514 Plummer St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201-3032.
Phone: 412-348-2588

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