One of the most memorable animal rescue stories of this year was “Connie the Container Dog,” the dog who was miraculously discovered by Coast Guard officers after being trapped in a shipping crate. The story took another turn when it was discovered that Connie was pregnant.
But sadly, there has been an unfortunate update to the story: Connie has died, after contracting a rare infection.
Connie’s story: found in a shipping container
Connie first made headlines early this year, after a surprising and unlikely rescue.
On January 31, a team of marine inspectors from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston were on duty, randomly selecting shipping containers for inspection, according to a Facebook post from U.S. Coast Guard Heartland.
They were randomly chosen from thousands of containers — but suddenly, they noticed an unusual sound coming from a container 25 feet up.
“It’s scratching, dude!” one officer is heard saying in a TikTok video. They could also hear barking and realized there was a live dog trapped in the unit.
@luloe_ Doing the kings business🫡 #uscg
The golden retriever had been in there for a week. The cargo unit was filled with junked vehicles being shipped overseas for parts, so the officers suspected she was a stray dog who had been hiding in a junkyard car.
The Coast Guard officers gave her water and called a local animal shelter. She was tired and hungry but most of all very happy to be rescued.
“As soon as we opened it, we could see the little dog’s face poking out. She was right there like she knew we were going to be there to open it for her,” petty officer 2nd class Ryan McMahon said. “And she just, she wasn’t scared or anything. She just 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.”
It was truly a miracle she was discovered at all: the Bayport Container Terminal, on the Port of Houston, has over 10,000 containers.
“It would take at least another week to get to where she was going (on a cargo ship) and two weeks without food or water,” McMahon told AP. “I don’t think she would have made it.”
Surprise pregnancy
The rescued dog was dubbed “Connie the Container Dog.” Initially taken in by the nearby Pasadena Animal Shelter, she was soon transferred to Forever Changed Animal Rescue in Maryland.
