Dog survives eating sandwich stuffed with pins

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Murphy, a 66-pound golden retriever, is recovering from surgery after swallowing food laced with pins. She ingested 10 pins.

"She was totally normal—no clinical signs—happy, normal Murphy coming in," Dr. Hilary Jones said. "So we took X-rays and then we knew we needed to do something."

Murphy's owner rushed her to Lincoln Square Veterinary Hospital late Wednesday morning after he noticed the dog had passed two pins.

The owner and Murphy had gone for a walk in Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan and came across a sandwich. The dog ate the food, which apparently contained the pins. Dr. Jones said the owner described the sandwich as a kind of wrap with pins in the filling. So she took X-rays and found eight pins in Murphy's stomach. She said she was shocked.

"I immediately had my colleague come over and look and, 'I'm seeing this right?'" Dr. Jones said. "We were all shocked."

The pooch had to undergo emergency surgery.

"Luckily, they were only her stomach and they weren't anywhere else," Dr. Jones said. "This could've been a fatality. If one of these pins migrated out or hit one of the major organs."

A spokesperson for the New York City Parks Department said this is the first such incident in a city park as far as anyone can remember.

"Our furry four-legged friends are dear to us," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We are happy to hear Murphy is on the mend."

Meanwhile, some dog owners who frequent Fort Tryon Park told Fox 5 that they are a little nervous and are being cautious.

Murphy is doing a lot better. Dr. Jones said she will probably go home Friday.