A stray dog wandering the streets of Montgomery County, Texas, with a plastic jug stuck on his head has finally been rescued after a month-long effort by a dedicated volunteer. The dog, now named Buck, was saved by Teri Goodnight, a dog trapper who refused to give up on him.
A Dog in Trouble
Teri Goodnight, 45, has rescued dozens of stray dogs, but when she heard about this unusual case, she knew it was going to be a challenge. The dog, who she named Jughead, had gotten his head stuck in a large plastic container while searching for food in an automatic cat feeder
For days, Jughead roamed the streets with the jug stuck on his head. He could only see out of one side of the container and was too scared to let anyone near him. Thankfully, the jug had a hole in the side, which allowed him to breathe and eat.
“I felt so bad for him,” said Goodnight, who has two dogs of her own and fosters two more. “He was just super scared of everything.”
The Long Road to Rescue
Goodnight first learned about Jughead through a Facebook post and immediately decided to help. She discovered that Jughead was always seen with another stray dog, whom she named Red. The two dogs had been living on the streets since July, and Goodnight was determined to rescue them both.
The trapping process wasn’t easy. Goodnight uses a humane live animal trap, baited with food like hamburgers, chicken, or bacon, to lure stray dogs. But Jughead was terrified of the trap and wouldn’t go near it.
“There were three different days where I was there for 24 hours straight,” Goodnight said. “All the other days I was there for 10-plus hours.”
She camped out in her car, using a thermal scope to monitor the dogs at night. Despite her efforts, well-meaning neighbors often scared Jughead away by trying to catch him themselves. “He would just bolt and take off, and he wouldn’t show back up for two or three days,” she explained.
Never Giving Up
Goodnight refused to give up, knowing that Jughead was in danger. “He was super vulnerable to being attacked by other dogs,” she said. “Even though he was able to eat and drink, he still wasn’t safe.”
After 30 days and 25 trips, Goodnight finally succeeded on November 24—her birthday. Jughead had grown comfortable enough with the trap to step inside.
“I knelt down and just started bawling,” Goodnight said. “I literally cried for 10 minutes; just sobbing.”
A Happy Ending
Once Jughead was secure, Goodnight called another trapper to help remove the container. Using wire cutters, they carefully freed him. “His face was super swollen,” Goodnight said, but Jughead didn’t panic. “You could tell that he was relieved.”
Red, who had been waiting nearby, was thrilled to see his friend free. “He realized the container was off, and he was just licking Jughead and wagging his tail,” Goodnight said.
Both dogs were taken to a foster home through East Texas Hoof and Paw Animal Rescue. Jughead has been renamed Buck, and Red is now called Archie. The two dogs are thought to be a few years old and are adjusting well to their new environment.
“They are opening up and they are becoming loving and wanting attention,” said Alyson Krumbholz, founder of the rescue organization.