Connie, pregnant dog who was rescued from shipping container, dies after rare illness — rest in peace

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.

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.

There, while receiving a medical check-up, vets discovered a shocking twist in the story: Connie was pregnant! It turned out she had been carrying puppies her entire time in the cargo container, and despite the ordeal, it was still a healthy pregnancy.

“The fetuses have strong heartbeats and were bouncing around, so while her pregnancy is guarded due to her being without food and water for 8 days or more, we are hopeful given what we could see,” Forever Changed.

In February, Connie successfully gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies. While there were some health complications given Connie’s physical state, both the mom and pups pulled through.

 

Rest in peace, Connie

But Connie’s happy ending was sadly short-lived. On June 28, Forever Changed Animal Rescue announced that Connie had passed away.

The shelter said they were “devastated,” and that Connie died after a battle with pythiosis, an extremely rare and aggressive fungal infection that dogs can get from drinking or swimming in contaminated water. They said she likely contracted it while surviving as a stray in Texas.

Forever Changed says they did everything they could to help Connie fight the infection, but she “declined rapidly.” They were devastated that, after all she survived and went through, she died so soon after finally finding a home.

“After all she had been through and survived, we simply couldn’t believe that this was how her story was supposed to end,” the rescue wrote. “She was such a young dog, with the absolute sweetest spirit, and yet she was such a fighter, a true survivor.”

“She deserved so many years of love and happiness, and she had found THE MOST PERFECT family that was finally giving her that. While we are glad that she had a few good months of happiness and love, it will never seem like it was enough. She deserved more.”

“Connie, we are so very sorry. If love could have saved you, you’d still be with us, sweet girl. We love and miss you always. You fought so hard and deserved so much more. Rest easy, perfect girl. You’ll certainly never be forgotten.”

Though her life was tragically cut short, Forever Changed says that Connie still leaves behind an incredible legacy, through her inspiring story and the eight healthy puppies she is survived by.

Forever Changed also hopes that Connie’s story inspires others to adopt dogs like her. “There are thousands of dogs #justlikeConnie in Texas that are euthanized in shelters, or living and dying miserable deaths on the streets every day,” they wrote.

“Dogs are abandoned and dumped like trash constantly. Almost all of these dogs are intact, so they’re roaming the streets and reproducing like crazy, so then entire litters of puppies are also suffering on the streets or euthanized in shelters.”

Related Posts

Melania Trump’s wedding dress ‘for sale’ on eBay for eye-watering amount

Melania’s opulent Christian Dior dress, designed by John Galliano, from her January 2005 wedding to Donald Trump was listed for sale at $45,000 (or best offer)—a steep…

I ASKED MY NEIGHBOR TO CLEAN UP AFTER USING MY BBQ — THE NEXT DAY, SHE LEFT HER OWN “RULES” ON MY DOOR, BUT I SHUT THAT DOWN. So, about six months ago, a new neighbor moved in — a woman (40) with her son (16). At first, she seemed chill. I even lent her some household stuff and let her use my outdoor grill station when we weren’t home. No big deal, right? Wrong. One weekend, me, my husband and our kids went to visit my parents. We came back, and boom — MY BACKYARD LOOKED LIKE A FRAT HOUSE HAD JUST HOSTED A BBQ APOCALYPSE. Empty bottles, food scraps, grill left dirty like it had survived a grease explosion. I ask her about it, and she just shrugs, saying it was her son’s birthday, so you know, it’s just kids, it’s what kids do. Apparently, I shouldn’t make a fuss over something so minor. Lady, it’s my backyard, not a public park! So, I do the reasonable thing. I draft up three simple rules: 1. If you use something, clean it and put it back. 2. Please, clean up after your child. 3. That’s it. Just be respectful. I hand it to her, thinking we’re all good. THE NEXT DAY, I WAKE UP TO A LIST OF HER RULES TAPED TO MY DOOR. HER rules. For MY property. Spoiler: I didn’t follow her rules. In two weeks, her son knocked on my door and pleaded, “Ma’am, please, stop!” 👇🏼 Full story in the first comment 👇

Camilla allows her new neighbor, Claire, to use her barbecue… until she goes home to a backyard disaster. When Camilla asks for basic respect, her neighbor demands…

MY SISTER TOOK BACK THE CAR SHE GIFTED ME AFTER I UPGRADED IT, SO I TAUGHT HER A LESSON. My older sister sold me her old car for a symbolic amount. It hadn’t run in ages, with flat tires and rust under the hood. But she made a big deal out of gifting it to me. Knowing my way around cars, I invested $5,000 to upgrade everything—new interior, fresh paint, new tires, and wheels. I was thrilled with the result. One morning, as I was about to leave for university, my sister stormed in, DEMANDING THE CAR BACK. I was sh0cked. She claimed her husband’s car had broken down, and since she hadn’t sent the sale documents, the car was still legally hers. She said she had changed her mind. My parents sided with her, arguing that she needed the car for her kids. My first thought was to call the police, but then I had a better idea. I decided to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget. I went to ⬇️ Full story in 1st comment

To be honest, I never imagined a beat-up old automobile would become the center of family drama, but here we are. It all began when my older…

A POOR BOY’S LIFE CHANGES AFTER HE PULLS AN OLD, RUSTY CHAIN STICKING OUT OF THE SAND ON A REMOTE BEACH Adam is 13 years old and lives with his grandfather in an old trailer near the ocean. His parents passed away when he was just 3, and since then, his grandpa has been his only family. They don’t have much, but his grandpa has raised him well—Adam is strong, smart, and way more mature than most kids his age. One afternoon, he rode his bike down to the beach, just like any other day. He wandered along the shore, letting the waves tickle his feet—until something caught his eye. A thick, rusted chain lay partially buried in the sand. Curious, Adam grabbed it and pulled—but it barely budged. Whatever it was connected to was massive. From that moment on, Adam became obsessed with digging. He had no idea what he was about to uncover—or how it was about to change his life forever ⬇️

The rusted chain jutting from the sand seemed worthless to everyone else, but to 13-year-old Adam, it promised an escape from poverty. He couldn’t have known that…

THEY WERE PRAYING IN A CIRCLE—BUT NO ONE TAUGHT THEM HOW It was just after snack time, and I was washing out some paint cups when I noticed the room had gone oddly quiet. Too quiet for a group of 4- and 5-year-olds who usually treated volume like a sport. I turned the corner into the play area and stopped in my tracks. Four of them—Niko, Janelle, Izzy, and Samir—were sitting cross-legged in a perfect little circle. Hands held. Eyes shut. Heads bowed. They were whispering something I couldn’t quite catch at first. I thought maybe it was a song or one of those rhyming games they loved. But when I leaned in, I realized they were… praying. Like, really praying. Asking for things. Saying “Amen.” Janelle even crossed herself at the end like she’d seen in church. Thing is, we don’t do any kind of religious activity in our classroom. It’s a public kindergarten. No nativity plays, no Bible stories, nothing. And I’d never seen any of these four talk about faith or even mimic that kind of behavior before. I crouched down and gently asked, “Hey, what are you guys doing?” Izzy opened one eye and whispered, “We’re asking the sky to help us.” “Help you with what?” I asked. Niko just said, ⬇️

It was just after snack time, and I was washing out some paint cups when I noticed the room had gone oddly quiet. Too quiet for a…

Try stretching your ring finger with your thumb and holding it for a few seconds. You’ll be amazed by the reason behind it! (check in first comment👇)

Can we achieve peace and harmony with just our hands? Let’s explore some mudras (hand gestures) and their benefits: Gyan Mudra (Knowledge Mudra): How to do it: Sit…