Thanks to United States Coast Guard officers, “Connie the container dog” was rescued one week ago in Houston, Texas from a shipping container at the Port of Houston. Connie’s “howling” may have been the catalyst that saved her life.
OH, IT’S SCRATCHING DUDE.!
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According to U.S. Coast Guard Heartland, a team of marine inspectors from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston saved the life of a dog heard barking and scratching from one of the containers in a stack. When MST3 Bryan Wainscott, MST1 Lucas Loe, MST2 Ryan McMahon, and MST3 Jose Reyes lowered the container and opened the door, a dog popped out. That particular container had been at the facility for eight days.
The dog had been trapped in the container 25 feet off the ground and was thirsty, hungry and very tired, but was quite ecstatic to meet her rescuers. The Coast Guard members gave her water and brought her to a local animal shelter for further care.
It was the Maryland based animal rescue, Forever Changed Animal Rescue, who contacted the Texas shelter to offer help. And it was Seuk Kim, a pilot who had volunteered for animal rescue missions to help, and flew Connie to Virginia.
Connie was taken to the organization’s veterinarian partner where she tested positive for heartworms. She was also malnourished after having spent eight days in the storage container, infested with fleas and suffered from a painful skin infection. She also showed signs of swollen mammary glands, but no puppies were found in the container. A rumor had been circulating that her puppies had been found dead next to her.
But most of the time rumors are just rumors. Her checkup confirmed she was pregnant, and the puppies have yet to be born. As for her “family” possibly missing her, the rescue organization posted the following in response:
We’ve received some backlash due to the comment about Connies family may be missing her. Please note that Connie had a 3-5 day stray hold in Texas and no owner came forward. Her shipping container came from a Houston junkyard. Not only that, Connie is heartworm postive, did not have a microchip, collar, or any identification, was malnourished more than just 8 days of not eating, was loaded with fleas, has terrible skin that is not something that happened over a few weeks time, isn’t spayed, and is pregnant. If she had an owner, they clearly did not take care of her. She deserves to be treated with kindness and love and receive the medical treatment she needs and will receive from us.
Connie is safe and hopefully her puppies will enter the world ready to live full, happy lives. A foster home is needed now for Connie and her family, and hopefully this entire experience will soon just be a distant memory for Connie.
To volunteer, foster or donate, please click here.
Read the original coverage of Connie here.
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