Vancouver woman alerting dog owners after disturbing discovery

A Vancouver woman is spreading the word after discovering pieces of bread filled with safety pins while walking her dog Tuesday morning near Ontario Street and 3rd Avenue.

“If she swallowed that and that got stuck in her throat, I would’ve panicked. I wouldn’t have known what to do,” said Ally Woodgate, who believes there may have been malicious intent involved. "It's a vile thing to do, like it was intended to inflict damage."

Woodgate says she noticed a few pieces scattered around an alley between 3rd and 4th avenues off Ontario Street and picked up what she could find.

One local veterinarian says cases involving dogs swallowing suspcious items are rare, but can be a serious concern .

"I've definitely heard of these cases," said Dr. Lauren Adelman with Canada West Veterinary Specialists & Critical Care Hospital.

“Sharp objects can cause perforation, and so if they perforate the esophagus, the stomach or the intestine, that can be a life-threatening emergency, and especially if you wait or sit on it – that can be deadly.”

The area is a busy hub for dog walkers and includes a doggy daycare businesses nearby.

"Well obviously that's concerning," said Adam Wawzonek, a dog owner who works in the neighbourhood. "I hope it's just an isolated incident."

“I mean we love them like we love our children," said Sabrina Wong, another dog owner CTV News spoke with in the neighbourhood. "To think about the dog ingesting that. The vet bills, the pain and suffering.”

Woodgate filed a report with Vancouver Police and VPD confirmed they are looking into the situation.