A dog who was rescued after being found inside a shipping container at the Port of Houston earlier this year has died from a rare infection.
The golden retriever, dubbed “Connie the Container Dog,” was found in January inside a shipping container by a team of United States Coast Guard members who were conducting their daily inspections at the port.
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After the rescue, Connie was taken to Maryland to Forever Changed Animal Rescue.
Sadly, on June 28, the rescue posted on Facebook that Connie died from a rare infection known as pythiosis.
“Pythium is extremely rare and almost never seen in dogs in our area of the country, but is seen more in other areas, including Texas. It is an extremely aggressive fungal infection that animals can get from swimming in or ingesting contaminated water. It is heartbreaking to think about the fact that Connie likely was infected while simply trying to take a drink to survive on the streets of Texas, especially with the unbearable heat down there,” the rescue said.
The rescue explained that pythiosis carries a poor prognosis in most cases but there are some promising new results from aggressive treatment with a combination of oral antifungals, steroids, injectable immunotherapy, and surgery.
“Connie had lesions in her gastrointestinal tract that were making her very sick, but we were determined to give her the best chance at survival. She had consults with specialists, advanced imaging, numerous diagnostic tests, hospitalization, blood transfusions, etc., and we were in touch with veterinarians who have expertise and years of research and experience treating pythiosis. Unfortunately, despite exhausting every resource and treatment we could find, Connie declined rapidly,” the rescue said. “After all she had been through and survived, we simply couldn’t believe that this was how her story was supposed to end. 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.”
The rescue said while Connie was robbed of the life she deserved to live by the deadly fungal infection, she left a legacy in her story and her eight puppies.
The rescue is hoping to use Connie’s story to help raise awareness of issues surrounding better care for animals as well as spaying and neutering.
“There are too many dogs and not enough people involved in rescue, fostering, or adopting. Stricter laws involving ownership/treatment of animals and spaying/neutering are desperately needed across the country,” the rescue said.
The rescue shared several photos of Connie’s last few weeks.
“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.”