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Dog rescued after being trapped in shipping container for 8 days

One Texas pup's roller coaster of luck went from the dark depths of a shipping container to the bright prospect of a fur-ever home last week.
A U.S. Coast Guard Heartland inspector poses with a dog he helped rescue.
Posted at 9:41 PM, Feb 05, 2024

One adorable pup is trading her lonely living quarters for a loving furever home, with adoption applications still pouring in since being found in an unlikely habitat last week.

That unlikely habitat was a shipping container about 25 feet off the ground at a Texas port, where a group of marine inspectors with U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston had been busy at work when they came across the surprising inhabitant.

Four crew members had been doing their routine job of randomly inspecting some of the port's thousands of shipping containers when they heard barking and scratching above them, UCSG Heartland said. They lowered the suspected container by crane and opened the door, and Connie the Container Dog popped right out.

The sweet pup had been trapped in the dark enclosure for at least eight days, with USCG officer Ryan McMahon telling The Associated Press she was "definitely pretty skinny."

But despite being tired and hungry, the crew said she was "very happy to see her rescuers" — and probably just as happy to take the drink of water they gave her, as evidenced by the video showing her ferociously wagging tail. 

U.S. Coast Guard Heartland

Plus, that happiness will likely keep climbing because instead of being exported overseas with the other containers filled with totaled car parts, Connie will soon be placed with one of many hopeful adoptive families wanting to bring her home through Forever Changed Animal Rescue.

Though inspectors took her to a local animal shelter, the Virginia-based rescue group has since taken her in to get her healthy before finding her that deserving home.

U.S. Coast Guard Heartland

The group said Thursday that the pup was a bit underweight at 30 pounds and is positive for heartworm, though treatment was said to be starting "ASAP." The group also noted she's "incredibly sweet but very shy and scared of her new surroundings, as to be expected."

In an update Sunday, Forever Changed said Connie would have a full workup after she arrives in Virginia from Texas Tuesday, by way of a Pilots N Paws private plane. Until she's healthy, she'll stay with the group's founder, veterinarian Andrea Deoudes.

If you'd like to be one of the many paws-sible parents to Connie, you can apply on the Forever Changed website. The group is also asking for donations or Connie's care — information of which can be found on its Facebook page.