A stray dog whose life was threatened by a plastic jar stuck over her head, was saved by a group of animal lovers and a Facebook post in Memphis, Tennessee.

The rescuers banded together after seeing a Facebook post on Friday alerting everyone that the distressed dog was seen wandering around near the wooded area off Interstate 40. They were concerned the dog might suffocate or become severely dehydrated because she would not be able to eat or drink with the container around her neck.

"We have to get her, she doesn’t have a whole lot of time with that on her head," said Beth Gresham, the first of a dozen or so rescuers that went out looking for the dog. Beth was searching for the dog on Friday morning after she learned about the distressed dog from a friend. She was able to take a photo of the dog, but when she approached, the dog ran back into the woods.

Beth is not sure if someone put the container over the dog's head on purpose, or if the dog accidentally became stuck while she was trying to get something to eat, but she noticed "There was a little room so that she can get air, but the hotter it gets, the less oxygen she is going to get."

Working against the clock, the rescuers combed the woods on Saturday monring. During their search they found another dog - a small abandoned puppy - who they also rescued. Gresham pointed out that this is sadly not a rare occurrence, with many dogs dumped in the area by careless owners.

By Saturday evening, they had found the dog with the container. Using container cutters, they removed the plastic jar off the frightened dog's head. The dog has been named Miracle was taken to the vets for a health check and already has a foster home. Miracle appears to be bouncing back from her ordeal quickly, and Saturday evening she was eating dog food, playing with a family dog and relaxing, thanks to the efforts of kind-hearted strangers.

The other stray puppy has also been taken in by Friends of the Community Animal Society, a local rescue, for care.

Update June 5, 2012

As soon as Miracle had the jar removed from her head she gobbled down the food and drink offered her. This video was posted by Beth Gresham.

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