By Rowann Gilman

Sophie DiThomas and her son, Simon, do everything together: They share boundless energy and are avid runners, nimble acrobats, and are always up for a good ball game. That’s what Jack Russell terriers are all about.

But an innocent romp at the Thomas F. Smith dog run in Chelsea’s Waterfront Park nearly separated the fun-loving pair forever recently when Sophie started spouting blood after playing with a needle-punctured tennis ball found there.

Joe DiThomas, Sophie’s owner, was beside himself. “I just couldn’t figure out where the blood could be coming from,” he said.

The episode unfolded when Joe brought Sophie and Simon for a quick jaunt near the deserted dog run at 10:30 p.m. late last month, then paced the inner perimeter of the run looking for suitable playthings. He was lucky enough to find a lone tennis ball, or so he thought. Tossing the ball into a carryall, he headed home with his two terriers.

The next morning, Joe slung the bag over his shoulder and took the dogs out to play. Sophie wrestled the new ball out of the bag and claimed her catcher’s spot. After a few throws and catches, with Sophie dropping the ball at Joe’s feet for another round each time, he noticed what he thought were flecks of blood on her white fur. A closer look revealed blood on one of Sophie’s paws and, worse, around her mouth.

“I picked up the ball to get a close look at it, when my right hand was pricked by what turned out to be the business end of a rusty sewing needle,” he said.

Turning the ball around, DiThomas found the top of the needle protruding opposite and tried to pull it out. It wouldn’t budge. His first thought was that the spiked ball had to have been assembled with ill-will and an aim to maim, as it would likely require great strength—and possibly even a tool of some sort—to so firmly drive a sewing needle straight through a tough tennis ball.

While Joe didn’t think the damage to himself and Sophie was dire enough for a visit to the vet, he did take the offensive item home as evidence for the police report he intended to file.

Sophie and Joseph were lucky: They survived the close call and are fine. “I’m relieved that the damage was minor,” says DiThomas, “but every dog owner and parent needs to know what’s going on in the neighborhood. Everyone is horrified that this has happened…we all need to be more aware these days.”

August Costa, head of the Chelsea Dog Owners Coalition agrees: “The incidents at our dog run are quite unfortunate…but this is a wake-up call to safeguard your animal with your own two eyes. Reading the newspaper or a book at the dog run is simply irresponsible,” he said.

The needle near-miss comes in the wake of highly publicized incidents of dogs ingesting methamphetamine at the Chelsea Waterside Park dog run this summer. One dog died and several were taken to nearby veterinary hospitals during that scare.

Not surprisingly, Chelsea dog owners are shocked and scared at the latest news. As Jackie McCabe, owner of Molly, admits, “I’m not really sure what to think. Just when you believe the park is safe, this happens.”

The danger in swallowing sharp objects such as needles can be dire, according to local vets.

“Needles can penetrate the esophagus and intestine, and migrate to the stomach, where they cause abdominal bleeding,” says Dr. Michael Farber, founder of the West Chelsea Veterinary Hospital. “Sometimes, they become abscessed in the intestine,” he said, adding that needles stuck in balls can cause lacerations to the mouth. “Sometimes an object like this will pass through, but in most cases, surgery under general anesthesia is the only way to remove it,” he said.

Local government and parks department officials have lost no time moving to prevent further problems. Noreen Doyle, vice president of the Hudson River Park Trust, has expressed deep concern about this latest incident. Upon learning about it, she immediately notified her senior staff and Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officials. The Trust, which is also making efforts to expand the dog run and install higher fencing, has been working closely with the police department on dog run-related issues since the summer.

Meanwhile, State Senator Tom Duane, an avowed animal lover, also weighed in recently.

“As a longtime supporter of safe, off-leash spaces for dogs and their guardians, I encourage every dog owner whose animal becomes ill or injured using the dog run at Chelsea Waterside Park to contact the 10th Precinct immediately…. Reporting the details of crimes is the only way law enforcement can find the culprit or culprits and keep our dogs safe.”

Or perhaps Chelsea dog owners should adopt the City’s post-9/11 mantra: “I hate to say it, but ‘If you see something, say something’ makes a lot of sense here,” McCabe said.