The owners of a 4-year-old Yorkshire terrier mix are trying to understand why someone left nails wrapped in hot dogs at their Wisconsin apartment complex.

Tom Deakin and his girlfriend, Jennifer Ramos, are the owners of Clarice, the dog that is recovering after eating the hot dogs, WISC reported. The dog ate six nails wrapped in hot dogs, and Deakin believes they were left intentionally.

“That is some malicious stuff,” Deakin told WISC. “You hear about it every once in awhile, someone out here or there finding that someone tried poisoning their dog or whatever. You never think it's going happen to you.”

Deakin said Ramos initially thought the hot dogs were food scraps from a busted-open garbage bag and thought nothing of Clarice eating them. He said once he and his girlfriend were alerted by apartment management that the hot dogs contained nails, the couple immediately panicked.

"(Jennifer) immediately remembered that Clarice ate some,'" Deakin said.

The couple rushed Clarice to the veterinarian the next day. She has required more than $3,000 worth of surgery to remove the nails from her stomach, WISC reported.

Lake Delton police Sgt. Steve Smith confirmed detectives are looking into the case but said police aren't yet able to share details about the ongoing investigation, WISC reported.

Deakin said he doesn't know why anyone would purposely try to hurt dogs like Clarice, but he hopes whoever did this turns him or herself in.

"Whoever did this, you know, you've got 50, 100 pet owners in that complex absolutely livid ... go turn yourself in, make it easier on yourself," Deakin said. "Otherwise, I don't know how you're going live in that complex."

The couple set up a Go Fund Me page to help with Clarice's veterinary bills. Nearly $2,000 had had been raised as of early Friday morning.