You’d never know what’s inside that shipping container until you ‘hear’ it.
That’s what exactly happened to a group of US Coast Guard inspectors.
On a typical day of inspecting shipping containers at the Port of Houston, US Coast Guard officer Ryan McMahon and his team were surprised to hear what sounded like barking coming from one of the thousands of containers towering around them.
One inspector said on a video, “Oh, it’s scratching, dude,” as they looked up at the humongous container at 25 feet in the air.
With the help of a crane, they lowered the container and there they found a sweet and friendly dog.
McMahon, a petty officer 2nd class, recalled, “As soon as we opened it, we could see the little dog’s face poking out. She seemed happy, more than anything, to be out of that dark space and in the arms of people that were going to take care of her.”
“I know she must have been scared in there, the crying and the barking we heard but as soon as we opened it, she just turned into this loving, happy puppy,” 1st Class Marine Science Technician, Lucas Loe said.
Coast Guard officials later determined that the dog which they named “Connie the container dog” had been trapped for at least eight days without any food or source of water.
Wasting not even a minute, McMahon and his team quickly brought Connie to an animal shelter in Pasadena, where she underwent a check-up.
The rescue group Forever Changed Animal Rescue took her in and is working towards her health and eventual adoption.
An ongoing investigation has been rolled out to know why such an adorable dog ended up locked in one of the shipping containers.
The origin of the container remains unknown, but it contained discarded vehicles likely bound for overseas sale as parts.
Coast Guard spokesperson Corinne Zilnicki explained, “Based on that, they think that the dog most likely was in a junkyard, in a car. And that’s how she accidentally got put in the container.”
Expressing gratitude for being in the right place at the right time, McMahon emphasized the critical timing of the rescue, preventing the container from being loaded onto a cargo ship.
He acknowledged that it would have taken at least another week for the container to reach its destination, and without food or water for two weeks, Connie likely wouldn’t have survived.
Forever Changed Animal Rescue, in a Facebook post, shared that Connie, slightly underweight and testing positive for heartworm, would undergo treatment and receive comprehensive care. While the inspectors considered adopting Connie, they acknowledged that the timing wasn’t right, expressing confidence that she would find a loving home.
McMahon reflected, “We know with all this, she’s going to go to a good home where they love her and take care of her.”
Right now, Connie is safe with other rescue dogs and starting to bounce back under the love and care of Andrea Deoudes, the Founder and director at Forever Changed Animal Rescue.
Watch the news report below to learn more about “Connie the container dog.”
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