Nero, a Doberman-Great Dane crossbreed, found his eyes were bigger than his stomach when he snatched a Nokia mobile phone from his owners hand and swallowed it.
The giant canine paid the price for his greedy nature, when he was the subject of a major operation leaving him with a large scar and ten stitches on his belly.
Nero's owner, Marie Matthews, 67, from Valhalla in Pretoria, South Africa, how the dog swallowed the phone just over two weeks ago.
Her daughter, Driekie Boojens, was busy feeding Nero when he snatched the phone from between her fingers and swallowed it whole.
"My daughter screamed terribly because we were scared that Nero would die," recalled Matthews.
They immediately took Nero to a local animal clinic where the mobile flashed up in an x-ray.
"We were very worried. I couldn't stop crying," said Marie.
Nero underwent an operation the next day, and everything went well.
The operation cost Matthews and her husband Archie, 72, 6,000 rand (£420).
"They not only found the cellphone, but also a lot of stones," she added.
The couple had to throw away the phone as it hasn't worked since Nero tucked into it.
Archie said Nero was "almost normal". The dog, who will turn 12 in November, has heart problems according to the couple's grandson, Dyllan Armstrong, 13.
The Matthews were relieved to have Nero back home.
"He is my life, like one of my children," said Marie.
