India’s homeless dogs must scrounge through every possible food source as they struggle to stave off starvation. That includes sticking their heads into discarded containers for a bit of dhal or a lick of sauce. This can be disastrous for dogs whose heads become stuck in the containers, dooming them to a painful death by starvation, suffocation, or dehydration. While thrashing about in a panic, some dogs manage to smash the containers, freeing their heads but often leaving the vessels’ narrow openings stuck around their necks. This is probably what happened to the dog pictured below.

An Animal Rahat scout spotted this dog and called a team member for help. The two of them caught the pup (no small feat, given his wary state), cut off the remnants of the container, and took him to the office to be neutered. The vets also took advantage of his sedated post-surgery state to trim his overgrown nails. When he woke up, he must have wondered, “What on earth is happening?”

They returned the dog to the area where he had been found, gave him water and a meal, and watched him trot off to join his village pals.

No matter where you live, it’s important to rinse out containers (and place the lids back on them!) and crush metal cans before disposing of them.