Stray dog had a box stuck on his head for nearly a year — a recent rescue changed everything

For months, a poor dog was seen running around with a box stuck on his head, and no one was able to catch him to get him unstuck.

But now, there’s finally some good news in this story…

For nearly a year, the dog was regularly seen on the streets of Mobile, Alabama, with a strange-looking box stuck on his head.

“Kind of looked like something out of a horror movie,” local resident Larry Martin, one of the witnesses, told WKRG. “I don’t know; it was really weird to describe.”

After frequent sightings, it became clear to the locals that the box was stuck on good. His long survival means he was able to eat and drink with it on, but it was no doubt uncomfortable for the poor animal.

People wanted to help him get unstuck, but were unable to get close enough, and traps didn’t work because the box was too big. Food-based traps also didn’t work, as the dog appeared to be well fed.

After months with no success, the rescues finally made a breakthrough last week. According to a social media post from dog rescuer Martin Miller, teams from the City of Mobile Animal Services and Mobile County Animal Shelter joined forces and went out to rescue the dog.

In an interview with WKRG, Miller says that they “formed a line” and he “just happened to be in the right place at the right time” when the dog ran towards him, allowing him to grab the dog’s lead and get the box off his head.

Miller said that the box was actually the top of a public trash can, the kind that opens and closes. It’s possible that the dog put his head in looking for scraps and became trapped.

After nearly a year of having his head stuck, the dog was finally freed — but unfortunately, he quickly ran off after their rescue. But without the trash lid to deal with, they were able to use conventional traps to catch the runaway stray.

Thankfully, there has now been another update to the story: on February 26, the City of Mobile Animal Services said that the dog, now named “Bear,” was caught by animal control officers over the weekend and was now safe in their care.

“He is a sweet gentleman, and he’s in good health,” COMAS wrote, adding that Bear was currently on stray hold.

According to WKRG, Bear will have to undergo behavior tests and medical evaluations before deciding on if he’ll be put up for adoption.

We’re so glad Bear is finally safe and free from that trash can lid — it must’ve been so uncomfortable having that stuck on you for nearly a year!

Please share this amazing news if you love dogs! ❤️