Dog Hospitalized for Eating Santa Decoration Adopted in Time For Christmas

A pit bull who was rushed to hospital having swallowed a Christmas decoration will now be spending the holidays in the company of his new owners.

Potato the pit bull suffered every dog owner's worst nightmare while staying with a foster carer after consuming part of a stuffed Santa decoration.

According to research conducted by the Kennel Club, dogs are 75 per cent more likely to be treated for poisoned food or ingesting a foreign object in December compared to any other month of the year.

Potato's case was especially heartbreaking given the adversity he had overcome to get this far. First discovered at a Houston shelter, Potato was suffering from heartworm while his large, intimidating appearance and the fact he is a pit bull had seen him consistently overlooked for adoption.

That was when the Best Friends Animal Society stepped in. An animal rescue initiative set up with the mantra that every dog deserves a chance, Potato was in the "at-risk" category at his shelter before they gave him another shot at life.

Pulled into the society's foster program, Potato thrived once free from the kennel with his rambunctious and adorably mischievous personality coming to the fore.

The lovable pit bull became known for his exuberant greetings, which often involved giving people a "hug" with his paws around their shoulders, and habit of darting after objects regardless of what was in his way.

Though he was far from the finished article, a year of work with the trainers at Best Friends helped iron out some of the kinks while Potato also began to steadily recover from the heartworms that had hindered him previously.

After turning things around in such a fantastic way, it was devastating for all involved when, one day in November, while staying with foster parents, he ingested the foot on a stuffed Santa Claus decoration.

Potato was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the ingested foot. Thankfully, once again, Potato was able to bounce back, showing an incredible level of resilience to return to his former self just a few days after going under the knife.

Then, with December fast approaching, Potato received the best early Christmas gift: an adoption inquiry. After hearing Potato's story, the adopters knew that he needed to be part of their family.

Potato's adoptive family had been long-time fosters of pit-bull type dogs. They had recently lost their dog to cancer and felt they were perfectly positioned to give Potato the home he truly deserved and move one step closer to healing the pain of losing their own beloved pet.

After years of not having a home to call his own, Potato proved that good things do come to those who wait. Meanwhile Potato's arrival has brought his new owners some much needed comfort and joy this holiday season.

Together they are looking forward to a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Alina Hauptman from Best Friends Animal Society told Newsweek: "Christmas Miracles do come true, even for pups, like Potato, who had been down on his luck for over a year."

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