A team of U.S. Coast Guard members from the Sector Houston-Galveston made a remarkable discovery during routine container inspections at the Bayport Terminal in the Port of Houston this week. On Wednesday, four marine inspectors were randomly selecting containers for inspection when they heard unexpected sounds of barking and scratching emanating from one of the stacked shipping containers.
Hidden within the walls of a container stacked 25 feet above the ground, the guardsmen found a female dog that had likely spent at least a week trapped inside. The Coast Guard reported, “When they lowered the container and opened the door, a dog popped out! This sweet girl was trapped in the container for at least a week and was tired, hungry, and very happy to see her rescuers.” Although the canine appeared weak in footage shared by the Coast Guard, she was visibly excited and wagging her tail after finally being freed.
In a TikTok clip posted by MST1 Lucas Loe, one of the dog’s rescuers, a guardsman is heard shouting, “Oh, it’s scratching, dude!” Loe expressed astonishment at the odds of stumbling upon the dog and stated, “We couldn’t believe she was in there. But she was stoked we found her and got her out!”
The dog, affectionately named Connie the Container Dog, was handed over to the Pasadena Animal Shelter for further care. Forever Changed Animal Rescue is now overseeing Connie’s recovery, providing her with a “new shot at life.” Described as “incredibly sweet but very shy,” Connie is reportedly underweight but is receiving ongoing medical care and is available for adoption. The circumstances that led to Connie being locked inside the container remain unclear.
