Watch: Abandoned dog with head stuck in snack jar rescued in Pennsylvania
Lost dog with head stuck in jar rescued in cornfield
Footage shows the moment Canine Rescue of Central PA volunteers captured Dallas Cheddar, a stray pup with her head trapped inside a plastic jar, in a cornfield in York County, Pennsylvania, early Wednesday morning.
YORK COUNTY, Penn. - One stray pup is safe and sound this week after wandering around rural Pennsylvania alone and with her head trapped inside a plastic jar.
An approximately 1-year-old Shepherd Collie mix, the dog was first spotted early Monday morning by a volunteer with the Canine Rescue of Central PA (CRCPA). At that point, the dog already had the jar stuck on her head.
CRCPA officials believe the pup may have been abandoned by her previous owner. Left for a period of time to hunt and find food on her own, she found herself in a tricky situation.
"Our guess is that she was probably going through trash somewhere, and then went in there to get food or sniff around," said CRCPA volunteer Janelle George. "And the way that the jar is set up, it got stuck around her collarbone area."
The pup spotted with her head stuck in a jar. (Canine Rescue of Central PA / FOX Weather)
George noted how the jar posed a significant risk for the dog, as it limited her ability to see and smell her surroundings while she was lost and trying to navigate the area by herself.
The jar also posed a suffocation risk, limiting the dog’s ability to breathe especially as she ran around an unfamiliar area alone and scared.
"It's really amazing that she is still alive," George said.
After the pup was spotted, CRCPA teamed up with Find Toby in PA, an organization that reunites lost pets, to find her.
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The next day, the search and rescue team then joined forces with local rescues and drone operators to extend the reach of their operation, since the pup’s unique condition made her rescue even more urgent.
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, thermal drone pilot Dallas Fuhrman located the pup in the middle of a cornfield. She was found appearing disoriented, exhausted and with her head still stuck in the jar, according to CRCPA.
The pup on the night she was found in the cornfield. (Canine Rescue of Central PA / FOX Weather)
She was rushed to Shores Veterinary Emergency Center, where medical personnel found her to be underweight, severely dehydrated and infested with ticks. She is now receiving treatment and is being cared for by a foster family, George said.
Additionally, the pup has been given a name inspired by her experience: Dallas Cheddar. Dallas, after the drone pilot who located her in the cornfield, and Cheddar, as the jar on her head was originally for cheddar cheese balls.
"We all thought it was a pretzel container, and then once we got close, we were like, ‘Oh, she likes cheddar cheese balls,’" George said. "So, it just kind of added a little something extra to her story."
Dallas Cheddar at her foster home. (Canine Rescue of Central PA / FOX Weather)
George noted that while Dallas Cheddar is not yet available for adoption – as she still needs to recover and heal from her harrowing experience – people can support her by following her story through the CRCPA Facebook page.
Dallas can also be supported through donations to CRCPA, which will help pay for the pup’s needs, such as medical care, food, vaccines, microchip, toys and a bed in her foster home.
In the meantime, Hanover Foods, which owns the division that made the cheddar cheese ball snack Dallas ate up, announced that they will cover her veterinary expenses.
"Long story short, our company decided to pay the veterinary fees associated with getting Dallas Cheddar back in her paws out of our love for dogs and to unconditionally give back to the community who support our brand. Let's all hope for her speedy recovery," they said on Facebook.
One of the takeaways from Dallas' experience is a greater emphasis on the proper disposal of trash, according to George. Particularly in rural areas, many stray dogs or cats and wild animals become caught in trash and, because of this, find themselves unable to eat or drink and eventually suffocate.
George noted that cutting up oddly-shaped items, such as jars that can trap animals, is important, not only for dogs, but for other animals, as well.