Montana man gets replacement for $500 eaten by dog

HELENA, Mont., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A Montana man who pieced together the five $100 bills eaten by his golden retriever said he was reimbursed by the federal government five months later.

Wayne Klinkel of Helena said he and his wife were taking a road trip to visit their daughter and her husband in Denver during the Christmas season and their golden retriever, Sundance, ate the five $100 bills while they were inside a restaurant, the Helena Independent Record reported Wednesday.

Klinkel said he started collecting Sundance's droppings during the trip, and his daughter was able to bring the rest of the fragments when she came to visit in March.

Klinkel said he was able to clean the pieces of the bills and tape them back together. He then sent them off to the Federal Treasury in the hopes of receiving replacement money.

"Ten days later I got a receipt back saying my letter was received, but that's the only communication I had during the whole process," he said.

Klinkel said he checked his mail Monday and found a $500 check from the Treasury.

"I gave Sundance a pat, showed it to him and told him not to eat it," Klinkel said.