A pet turtle in Florida survived a voyage into the digestive tract of a family dog with only minor injuries.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pepper, a turtle owned by 12-year-old Shelby Terihay, was swallowed by Bella, the family's golden retriever. The turtle was spending the night in a bathtub inside the Lithia, Fla., house to avoid cold temperatures outside, the St. Petersburg Times reported Friday.

When the turtle's absence was noticed and Bella was acting suspiciously nearby, Shelby informed her parents of the proper course of action: force the dog to drink hydrogen peroxide and prepare for a great deal of vomit.

"I basically wrote the turtle off," said Shelby's father, explaining that the turtle had been inside the dog for about 10 minutes. "I was thinking, 'There's no way.'"

But when the family took the heaving dog outside, the little green turtle was expelled from Bella's mouth and began to crawl.

The family said Pepper was treated by a veterinarian for a cracked shell and had to take medicine for a time, but both the turtle and the dog are now in good health.