A DOG owner from Pwllheli has told of how her crafty canine had a lucky escape after swallowing a needle and thread.

Sharon Taylor-Booth, who was brought up in Mynytho and later Llangwnadl, rushed her pup Bow to the vets, who were stunned to learn that the sewing instrument had passed almost seamlessly through Bow’s system – and they were able to pull it out safely the other end.

Sharon, who now lives in Warrington with her husband Darren and their two children Jess, 17, and 10-year-old Joe, said the 15-month-old Springer Spaniel was none the wiser about her ordeal.

It was vet Agnieszka Hanszke, who works at Beech House Veterinary Surgery, who managed to avoid operating by carefully pulling the sharp instrument out from the other end, and said Bow was “very lucky” she didn’t suffer any serious internal injuries.

Mrs Taylor-Booth, a former pupil of Ysgol Sarn Bach and Ysgol Botwnnog, said: “My husband had been sewing the seam of his work trousers and when he’d finished, he put the needle back in the bobbin in a cup holder on the arm of the chair.

“A while later, he noticed the bobbin had moved and that the needle had gone.

“We knew Bow must have got hold of the bobbin so we searched everywhere for the needle but couldn’t find it.

“We knew if it wasn’t on the floor, it was in the dog so we called the vets straight away who said they would X-ray her to check.”

Bow was anaesthetised while an X-ray was carried out and Agnieszka said she was “shocked” at what she found.

She said: “When Bow arrived at the surgery, she was perfectly fine. She appeared bright, had been eating well and was wagging her tail.

“Dogs who swallow foreign objects are usually poorly or being sick, so I didn’t expect to find anything on the X-ray.

“But when I saw the needle was in her rectum, it was a massive surprise.

“Rather than operate, I decided to see if I could reach it and thankfully, I managed to do so and carefully pulled it out.

“She was very lucky because as it was a sharp object, it could have gone anywhere, it could’ve punctured or ruptured her stomach or intestine or gone missing in her abdomen or spleen.

“The fact that hadn’t happened and the fact that her caring owners noticed the needle was gone and had Bow X-rayed was very lucky.”

Mrs Taylor-Booth said their much-loved family pet doesn’t like to think she’s missing out on anything.

The 43-year-old said: “We know what Bow’s like, she has to have anything we’ve got.

“She takes socks; she’s had money, string, buttons and even a trolley coin.

“Whenever she’s got something she shouldn’t have, she gives herself away by walking around in circles.

“We’ve had her since she was eight weeks old and she’s always been mischievous, it’s like having another child.”