Who could do this to Meggie? Bernese mountain dog almost dies after swallowing 10 inch-long nails hidden in sausages

Family pet ate laced sausages left in garden of her home in Scotland
Rushed to vets where X-rays revealed 10 inch-long nails in stomach
Meggie is now recovering after undergoing emergency surgery
Comes after dog walkers found 40 deadly sausages in park in Wales

PUBLISHED: 07:02 EST, 7 May 2013 | UPDATED: 07:04 EST, 7 May 2013

This adorable family dog narrowly escaped death after eating cocktail sausages that had been deliberately stuffed with inch-long nails by sadistic animal-haters.

Meggie became the victim of a recent spate of barbaric attacks aimed at dogs, which has seen meaty treats laced with nails and then scattered in the path of unsuspecting pets.

Meggie, an eight-year-old Bernese mountain dog, had to undergo emergency surgery after swallowing the potentially deadly sausages that were left lying in the garden of her home in Elgin, Scotland.

Victim: Family pet Meggie needed life-saving emergency surgery after gobbling down sausages that had been deliberately laced with nails

Narrow escape: The sausages eaten by the Bernese mountain dog in Elgin, Moray, had been spiked with nails, similar to those seen in this mocked-up image

Meggie is thought to have eaten five of the sausages, and another three were found lying in the garden.

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The dog was rushed to a vet where X-ray scans revealed 10 inch-long nails in her stomach.

Her owner, a young mother who does not want to be named due to her fear of reprisals, said: 'We are shocked at the level some people go to.

'The sausages must have been planted overnight. There was a gardener in on Thursday trimming the grass so it must have been after that.

'I found three other sausages. She's had five, so there must have been eight or nine in total,' the woman added.

Heartless: Meggie thought the sausages were a treat

Heartless: Meggie, seen left after undergoing surgery, could have died as a result of the cruel set-up

Cruel: The meaty treats were left in the garden of the home in Elgin, Moray, where Meggy lives with her owner - a young mother who has asked not to be named because she fears reprisals

Cruel: The meaty treats were left in the garden of the home in Elgin, Moray, where Meggie lives with her owner - a young mother who has asked not to be named because she fears reprisals

After undergoing surgery - at a cost of £990 - Meggie was kept at the vets overnight for observation before returning home to Elgin, Moray, where she is recovering from her ordeal.

Police are investigating the incident, which they believe was a deliberate attempt to harm Meggie.

In January horrified dog-walkers spotted around 40 cocktail sausages embedded with nails that had been left lying around a park in Abergavenny, South Wales.

The sausages - some of which had as many as ten inch-long nails inside - were removed before they could cause any harm, but local vets said they would almost certainly have proved fatal should a dog have eaten them.

A spokesman for anti-cruelty group Peta, which offered a £1,000 reward to try and help catch the culprits, said there was 'no way this can be anything other than the intention to kill animals'.

Investigation: Police believe the cruel ploy was a deliberate attempt to kill Meggy, a Bernese mountain dog

Investigation: Police believe the cruel ploy was a deliberate attempt to kill Meggie, a Bernese mountain dog

Trusting: The eight-year-old dog is believed to have eaten five of the sausages that were stuffed with nails

A dog-walker who noticed the lethal sausages as he walked his pet in the park said he was aware of previous incidents involving shards of broken glass being inserted into treats.

'I have been extra diligent while out walking my dogs since as I believe it would have caused a slow death in the animal,' the man said at the time.

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We have a similar problem in parts of Australia. Dogs are being stolen from backyards to be used in illegal dog fights.

- Happy Dude , Newcastle NSW, Australia, 07/5/2013 23:12

Click to rate Rating 4

It could be one of those neurotic 'dog dirt on the pavements' people. They seem to be fanatical about these things these days. I wish they'd get a life. I hope that whoever did this evil deed gets caught and punished severely.

- Louisa-Jane , London, 07/5/2013 22:38

Click to rate Rating 13

Sick ppl .

- Sacha Fry , Maidenhead, United Kingdom, 07/5/2013 22:21

Click to rate Rating 7

I'de love them to come to me and give me some reprisals.I think they are lowlife mentally deranged scumbags.

- tuguybear , newcastle, 07/5/2013 22:15

Click to rate Rating 11

the human race consists of sick maggots really

- Wakinah , Nairobi, Kenya, 07/5/2013 22:05

Click to rate Rating 10

what the hell is wrong with people, seriously. i can't understand why anyone would want to cause harm to an animal. glad Meggie is recovering, she's gorgeous!!

- lara , pontypridd, United Kingdom, 07/5/2013 21:59

Click to rate Rating 15

Absolute scum of the earth

- Searocks , Liverpool, United Kingdom, 07/5/2013 21:55

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How can anybody think that this is acceptable? It's absolutely disgusting, if this happened to my dog I would be so upset, there is absolutely no need. Glad that Meggie is on the mend! :)

- Emmzyt26 , Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, 07/5/2013 21:48

Click to rate Rating 7

I'd force feed the culprit when caught and see how they'd like it... Sick and very evil people walk amongst us

- Fed-up Flo , Earthling, United Kingdom, 07/5/2013 21:46

Click to rate Rating 11

Slight exageration with a 10 inch nail DM. Two inch plasterboard nail in reality, but don't let the facts get in the way. Still scum of the earth that did it though.

- Steve , Orewa NZ, 07/5/2013 21:46

Click to rate Rating 7

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