Persistence is key in the dog-rescuing process. No matter how hard it gets, how complicated it seems at first, or how unfriendly an animal may appear, you must give it your all!
With this philosophy in mind, Illinois rescuers embarked on a life-saving mission. This time, however, it was no ordinary case! It involved a dog whose head had been shockingly stuck in a purple bucket for days. And, it was everything but simple!
He Was Without Food And Water For Days
Alisha Vianello, the director of Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis, Illinois, received several calls about the stray with a bucket on his head. As soon as they heard about this shocking case, Vianello and her fellow rescuers rushed into action.
The dog, however, was not cooperating! It took the team days to locate him.
“It took a few days to find him, and then once he was found, he kept running away and escaping capture,” Vianello stated on her Facebook.
They tried it all. They attempted to befriend him, tried to leash him, and even set humane traps. The dog was still too afraid and skittish to let anyone near.
Knowing that he had the bucket stuck on his head for at least three days, the team needed another strategy. And, they needed it promptly! The pup was at risk of suffocation and he definitely couldn’t survive long by himself in those circumstances.
Instead of wasting time waiting for the dog to let down his guard, Dr. Kelsey, one of the volunteers, used a tranquilizer dart with a mild sedative to slow the dog down. This was enough for the team to secure him.
In the next moment, the pup was leashed and his bucket immediately popped off.
Everybody on the team was more than overjoyed to see the dog safe and sound and on his way to the shelter. But, more than anything, they were happy to save him just in time!
The pup was immediately subjected to a vet exam, and was given food and love. Fortunately, other than the bucket issue, he had no other health problems.
The next thing on the list was the name, and the team came up with the sweetest one: Buckethead!
“Of course we had to name him Buckethead and he’s safe and recovering in our shelter,” Vianello concluded.
Once in a warm environment and with his belly full, Buckethead came out of his shell. It did not take him long to fully decompress and reveal his true character, which was more than captivating!
He was a cuddle bug! He soon befriended everyone at the shelter and earned the status of the shelter’s favorite.
The Sweetest Face
A few days later, the GPG team posted the sweetest update about Buckethead. They finally took a decent photo of him that revealed how truly adorable he looked.
He wasn’t just a cuddly boy. He was a fashionable boy, too! And, despite his vague history and the fact that the team still didn’t know if he had a family before, it’s safe to say that Buckethead’s appearance matches his character perfectly.
He loves people, other dogs, and is definitely the biggest snuggler.
“Bucket Head’s true colors have shone through since we rescued him last week and he is the SWEETEST boy! He is super affectionate with everyone he meets, and loves to snuggle,” the Illinois rescue wrote.
Once he is out of foster care, Buckethead will be ready for a forever home.
Can’t wait to see his next life update!