Toad unharmed by tenure in dog's stomach

PALMERSTON, Australia, June 10 (UPI) -- Workers at an animal clinic in Australia's Northern Territory said a cane toad has survived a 40-minute ordeal in the belly of a dog.

Jackson Crews, 27, said he tossed some meat pies onto his lawn for his dog, Bella, to enjoy, but in her rush to consume the tasty treats she swallowed a cane toad that had wandered into the yard, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"I threw them (the pies) on the grass and as I did I noticed a cane toad," Crews said. "Bella saw it and thought it was one of the pies. She swallowed it whole."

Crews said the local animal hospital told him to bring the dog in immediately.

"They gave her a needle to help her vomit," he said. "She vomited a lot of pies and pasties but nothing else came up. Then they gave her another needle and she spewed up the cane toad."

Staff at the clinic named the toad, which appeared to be unharmed by the incident, "Spew" in honor of the vomit that saved its life.