Animal NGO Urges Public To Crush Plastic Containers Before Disposal To Protect Strays
Closing the lids of the plastic containers helps too!
Cover image via Just as uncut strings and discarded face masks can pose a danger to small animals, there is another type of trash you should handle carefully before throwing it away
Image via The Independent
And that is a plastic container!
An animal NGO is urging the public to close the lids or flatten plastic containers before disposal to prevent animals from getting trapped or entangled in them.
Recently, animal rescue NGO KC Valley rescued three stray dogs in a row, all suffering the same ordeal — their heads stuck in plastic containers.
One of the dogs had even been trapped for six months since December 2024.
This can be extremely dangerous for animals, as it limits their vision and prevents them from eating or drinking.
Unlike humans with opposable thumbs and greater arm mobility, many animals are in life-threatening danger the moment their heads get trapped.
Image via KC Valley RT (Facebook)
Image via @kc_valley_rescue_team (Instagram)
Speaking to SAYS, KC Valley said that out of 325 rescue missions carried out over the past six years, around 32 cases, or 10%, involved dogs with their heads trapped in sturdy plastic tubs
"The animals are hungry and thirsty, and when they see food or water inside a container, they try to get it without knowing the danger.
"Dogs usually suffer the most from this because the container size often fits their heads perfectly.
"But other animals like cats, Sunda stink badgers, skunks, opossums, bears (especially cubs), and many others can also get stuck in containers," said its vice president, Chia Boon Woo.
Over the years, KC Valley has tried to raise awareness by posting videos showing how to crush plastic tubs before throwing them away.
Some videos even show dogs wandering through neighbourhoods with containers stuck on their heads, putting their lives at serious risk.
Watch them below:
Rescuing these strays is no easy feat either
Dogs can outrun most humans, especially when they're darting quickly in different directions.
With their keen sense of smell and wider field of vision than humans, safely restraining them to remove plastic containers often takes several people, or even several days with multiple attempts.
That's why it's more practical to follow Chia's advice to help protect stray animals and wildlife. Watch his demonstration below:
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Image via SAYS
