A small, square bathroom tile that lodged in the stomach of a lovable 18-month-old basset hound is now on the auction block to help pay for the surgery that saved the dog’s life.

The mild-mannered female basset hound, named Hailey, was rushed into surgery once the tile was discovered in her stomach. Her extensive veterinary medical care cost more than $2,200, money the shelter where Hailey lives doesn't have. So now, the mysterious tile that caused the problem may also be part of the solution.

The purebred basset hound came to the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, N.J., in early April 2008. The dog was rescued from another New Jersey animal shelter that was overcrowded, said Michelle Chalmers-Morris, Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter’s development director.

The first shelter found Hailey as a stray. She was wandering the streets of Newark, N.J., the state’s largest city. Though the dog had a very cheerful personality, she looked like she had been starving because her ribs were protruding. Hailey weighed only 30 pounds (13.5kg) when she was found, a good 20 pounds (9kg) less than she should have weighed.

Hailey's appearance at the pound in Newark puzzled the staff at the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter. The dog was very friendly, knew tricks and wasn’t at all wild. The dog was also a purebred and spayed. The Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter searched around to see if anyone had lost a pet fitting Hailey’s description, but no missing dog reports for a canine like Hailey had been filed. Chalmers-Morris said that, judging by the dog’s behavior, she had definitely been someone’s pet at one time, but no one seems to be looking for her.

Hailey loved playing with toys and being with people, and was crying out for attention, Chalmers-Morris said, Hailey was so thin when she first arrived that folks at the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter thought she might have had a worm problem. But after observing her for just a few days, caregivers at the East Hanover animal shelter saw that Hailey wasn’t eating or drinking much and when she did take in some nourishment, she would throw up almost immediately afterwards.

So shelter workers brought the young pooch to the Community Animal Hospital in Morris Plains, N.J., for a thorough examination. To everyone’s amazement, x-rays at the vet's office revealed that the otherwise healthy canine had a perfectly square object of some kind wedged in her stomach, blocking the opening to her intestine and making food intake impossible.

"The vets really couldn't figure out what it might be," Chalmers-Morris said. Emergency surgery had to be performed without delay or Hailey would have died. To remove the object, surgeons made an incision and went through Hailey’s stomach.

Once inside the dog, the veterinarians found a one-by-one-inch (2.5cm x 2.5cm) square tile. "Hailey was lucky. She was actually starving to death," Chalmers-Morris said. "If the tile would have gotten into the intestine, the sharp edges could have caused damage. It could have cut up her intestines and caused internal bleeding. I'm glad we got her and could help her. She really is a wonderful dog."

Veterinarians concluded that the tile had been lodged in Hailey's stomach for at least two weeks. The tile was a perfect size to swallow, but could not pass through Hailey's digestive tract. While wandering the streets, starving and looking for food, Hailey must have swallowed the tile by mistake, Chalmers-Morris guessed. "When she came to us, she was skin and bones," Chalmers-Morris added.

The wayward tile that was removed from Hailey’s stomach was described as a very lovely taupe tile, glazed on both sizes. Though unusual, the tile was just one of the strange objects veterinarians sometimes have to remove from dogs. Chalmers-Morris said the vets at Community Animal Hospital told her they most commonly have to extract socks and underwear from canine digestive tracts. These unmentionables are usually gobbled up unwittingly by dogs in their foolish youth.

Hailey had to spend five days in the hospital, but is now well on her way to recovery. She is eating and beginning to gain some weight. But she is only eating small meals, Chalmers-Morris said. During her ordeal, Hailey’s stomach actually shrank, but now that the obstruction has been removed, the vets expect that her stomach will eventually return to its normal size and that she will regain her weight.

For now, Hailey remains at the shelter, but will soon be ready for adoption. The bill for Hailey’s lifesaving surgery and follow-up veterinary care came to more than $2,200 and since the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter is a private shelter, it doesn't have the funds to pay.

To help offset the cost, the stylish bathroom tile is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. It's a local auction, but anyone anywhere can join in. The tile has even been pictured in the local newspapers. The shelter is asking for donations to help pay for the surgery. Each donation will be used solely to offset the cost of Hailey's surgery and will be considered a bid in the auction. The person who makes the highest donation will win the auction and the tile.

The winning bidder has the option of taking the tile home as a rather unusual conversation piece or leaving the tile at the shelter. Regardless, the highest bidder will be photographed with Hailey and the tile as a memento.

Hailey's case has garnered a great deal of interest from animal lovers, and many people are making donations to the shelter to help defray the cost of the young dog’s medical bills. Chalmers-Morris said it’s a great opportunity for animal lovers to help a special dog who's gone through some rough times.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to help Hailey and possibly win the now famous intestinal tile can go to the shelter’s website at njshelter.org, or donations can be sent to the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, Attn: Help Hailey, 194 Route 10 West, East Hanover NJ 07936. You may also call the shelter at 973–386–0590.