When former stray rescue pup Luna decided she was peckish, even an unopened tin can could not stop her having a snack.
But her tea time treat put her straight on the road to vets and an operation to save her life at the cost of £1,200.
And while the beautiful Husky is making a good recovery, she is once more facing homelessness as Tyrone Husky Rescue struggle with financial crisis while they await a decision on charitable status.
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Hayley Doak who runs the rescue, said: "We are facing closure in days because funding is just so tight and we are literally down to the last few pounds to keep the dogs fed and warm.
"I'm going without heat and electricity to ensure I can look after the dogs and every penny is vital. So when Luna managed to find an unopened can of wet dog meat and chomped down the can too, I had a stark choice. I could put her through X-rays and an operation to remove the metal shards form her tummy, or leave it there and know she would die in pain, or we could have her put to sleep.
"Of course I had to give her chance and I asked the fantastic Parkland Vets Dungannon to do their best to save her and thankfully she has come out the other side. They were able to get some of the metal shards brought up naturally by making her sick, but there were two large bits of metal that would have caused too much damage so they had to open her up and go in an get them.
"The joy of knowing her life was saved was immeasurable but the reality is that we are out of money and almost out of time. I need a home for Luna and the other dogs in my care because I am facing imminent closure.
" Today Luna is well and almost fully recovered and she is sporting a 12 inch scar on her side where she had to be operated on. But her coat will grow back and all the metal shards from the food can was removed and she is ready to be adopted.
"We're down to the bottom of the barrel in terms of funding Tyrone Husky Rescue and without some help we face closing in the coming days. If Luna's operation is that last thing we raise funds for, then we have done the right thing."
Luna was rescued by Hayley two months ago after she was dumped on a country road and abandoned. Found by a local man, she was taken to Tyrone Husky Rescue in a bid to find her owners. But with microchip and no owner identified, Hayley started to assess Luna's character and needs ahead of a planned adoption plea.
Hayley said: "But then she ate a tin can of dog food and ended up in emergency surgery. The tin can had fallen out of my van and rolled underneath but I knew it was unopened and felt it would be safe until the morning when I moved the van to find it.
"But I totally forgot about it the next day and Luna was out in the snow with the other pups and I noticed she was licking at something - and when I investigated, she was literally eating the dog meat and the dog meat can. Nearly all the contents had gone, there was no blood on her mouth or any sign of cuts. But I knew there were pieces of the can missing and she was busy licking her lips.
"At this I was snowed in at the rescue and I knew I had to get her to the vet so thankfully a neighbour helped and we called the vet to say we would be there asap with our living tin opener, Luna.
"She was sedated and X-rays showed a lot of tin inside her so she was brought round to see if she could bring up some of it up herself but not enough came up. So the poor girl had to be sedated again and as keyhole surgery was not an option due to the size of the pieces of metal, wee Luna had to be opened up to remove it all.
"Vet Laura did a fantastic job and thankfully Luna is back to her normal self as if nothing has happened. She was started on very small meals to be gentle on her tummy and sent home with pain relief and antibiotics. I can’t tell you the relief she is alive and well.
"But it is a bittersweet victory as I know she'll be one of the last of our dogs to be saved because unless we see a miracle, unless we get some financial support to keep going, Luna will be one of the last dogs to be rehomed ahead of the closure of Tyrone Husky Rescue."
Paula Adams, a committee member of the rescue group, said: "The rescue has been open for six years now and in that time, we have rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed over 300 dogs, most are Northern Breeds but not forgetting a few mixed breeds, Whippets and Bull Breeds.
"But today once again we are at capacity with still more people begging us to take dogs, but we simply do not have the room or funding to help. We feel cannot give up, we have amazing supporters, volunteers and a wonderful fundraising committee who dedicate their own valuable time to help the dogs and ask for nothing in return, just to make sure the dogs are safe and well.
"Breed specific rescues are a definite necessity in this country as the majority of these dogs would not have got another chance at life. We really need donations now – to keep the dogs in our care fed, to look after their veterinary treatments, medical costs, to pay the rescue’s rent and to continue to help dogs in need. Any donation, no matter the size will be greatly received."
If you would like to donate to Tyrone Husky Rescue to help them stay open, you can click here and follow the link.
If you could offer Luna the perfect home, click here to contact Tyrone Husky rescue.
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