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That Dog Has Brass

Larry Brassfield’s dog Benno will eat almost anything. The long list of items the Baxter, Ark., dog has eaten includes stuffed animals, rope, magnets, a television remote, and LEGOs. But Brassfield didn’t anticipate Benno’s latest meal. “I woke up early and my wife said Benno had thrown up,” Brassfield said. “She said there was ammo in the vomit.” Indeed, Benno had swallowed 23 live rounds of .308 caliber hunting rifle ammunition. Veterinarian Sarah Sexton operated and removed most of the cartridges from Benno’s stomach. “There were lots of jokes being told during the surgery,” the vet said. “He could have gone up in smoke, could have gone out with a bang....” After the surgery, an X-ray revealed that two more rounds were in Benno’s esophagus. “Since the ammo is not toxic, I decided not to go back in,” Sexton said. Benno passed both rounds a few days later. “I won’t be leaving ammunition laying around anymore,” Brassfield said. “But really, you’re never going to stop him. It’s just a question of what he’s going to eat next.” (MS/Baxter Bulletin) ...Hopefully not a gun.