A fluffy two-year-old dog and her puppies are now safe after a rescue by a U.S. Coast Guard Heartland team inspecting shipping containers at the Port of Houston-Galveston in Texas.
The Coast Guard discovered the trapped dog after her barking and scratching caught their attention, according to news. The dog — now named “Connie the Container Dog” — was crying for help from inside a crate.
Connie’s rescuers eventually realized the barking was coming from overhead — from a crate stacked up about 25 feet above the ground.
With help from port officials and a crane, they managed to free Connie, according to the Washington Post.
Connie popped out of the crate, “tired, hungry, and very happy to see her rescuers,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland in a People Magazine interview. They added that the “sweet girl” had been trapped for at least a week without food or water.
Had Connie’s barks for help gone unnoticed, she could have easily been shipped overseas without food or water.
The Coast Guard team gave Connie plenty of water and love before taking her to the Pasadena Animal Shelter, where she was vaccinated, treated for fleas and ticks, and diagnosed as heartworm positive.
Connie was later transported to Forever Changed Animal Rescue (FCAR) in Maryland, where it was determined that Connie was not only malnourished, she was pregnant.
Connie has now given birth to eight puppies.
The rescue notes that while puppies are exciting, overpopulation is a serious issue in the animal rescue world. If you are considering adding a pup to your family, be sure to adopt and remember to spay or neuter your companion animals.
Lady Freethinker applauds the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland for their quick and compassionate response in rescuing Connie, the Pasadena Animal Shelter for their assistance, and the Forever Changed Animal Rescue for caring for Connie and her puppies.
