QUIRKY WORLD ... Shih Tzu lucky that owner didn’t throw in the sponge

ENGLAND: A Shih Tzu dog had life-saving treatment after he swallowed a kitchen sponge. Alfie’s owner, Maria Bird, was cleaning the bathroom, when Alfie pinched a sponge from the packet, gulping it down in one.

The 20-month-old dog seemed fine, but his worried owner took him to the vet. Ms Bird, 53, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, said: “Alfie has always been a mischief-maker, but I was astounded when he wolfed down the sponge in one go. He seemed absolutely fine, but I knew he could be in deep trouble. I rushed him straight to PDSA, where vets checked him over.”

Vet nurse Caroline Watson was on duty at PDSA’s Gateshead Pet Hospital. She said: “We gave Alfie an injection to make him sick and, thankfully, the medicine worked its magic quickly.