Dogs swallow fishhooks hidden in sausage; Residents fear animal hater

Several dogs were brought to the Veterinarians practice in Purmerend on Thursday after they had swallowed fishhooks hidden in sausages. Residents fear the dog hater, who had left fishhooks in sausages last year too, has returned, AD reports. Joyce Helsloot of the veterinary practice told AD that two dogs had to have surgery. "One dog had swallowed five hooks. The operation just finished, he's waking up now. We can not say who he is yet, but he is still quite young so I think he'll be fine." she told the newspaper. "The other dog swallowed two hooks, we saw that endoscopically through the esophagus. With this dog we will have to wait and see how it goes, if the hooks are excreted. He has to come back for a checkup and photographs." According to Helsloot, the practice's phone is ringing off the hook. Upset dog owners want to know where the dogs swallowed the fishhook sausages and what to do if they think their dog has also fallen victim to this. The veterinary practices recommends that owners who think their dog has swallowed a fishhook bring them in for an X-ray. "You can also wait and see if it passes, but then you take a risk. The stomach can be perforated." The sausages were next to the bike path on the dike between Purmerend and Kwadijk. If anyone sees a sausages lying around there, pick it up and throw it away. One of the dog owners has filed a police report. The police are calling on other owners to do the same, and to report if they find a sausage with fishhooks in it. "This also gives us more of an idea on the location where the perpetrator is active", a spokesperson said to AD.