PUNE: As an expert jar remover, 'Jar King' Ajay Patel has helped at least 19 dogs with their heads stuck inside jars from the city in the last four months. Patel recently rescued a stray canine with his head stuck in a plastic jar for 21 days.

“Dogs in such a predicament cannot hold on for long. It is a miracle that the 'jar' dog near Dhanori survived the ordeal. A family noticed it in the area, gasping for breath and running like a headless chicken in mid-August. Some volunteers tried to free it, but failed. I began to visit the place every day to find the dog which was on the run because of the trauma,“ Patel said. A week into the search, he had almost given up since it seemed futile. “But the thought of the helpless dog, thirsty and starving for almost 20 days kept me going. One day, a construction worker in the area called me. It was the 22nd day of my search. He had located the dog,“ he said.

When he began the rescue, Patel said he ensured that the dog was not chased. “No dog in such a situation should run much as the oxygen level inside the jar is very low and can result in death,“ he added.

On any such rescue mission, Patel first sneaks in a finger or two through the jar's opening to check for space. “When I get hold of a trapped canine, I punch a small hole in the front of the jar and trickle in a few drops of water for the dog. This helps him calm down. I then use a wire cutter from my kit to cut open the jar. Once the dog is free, we gave him water and food,“ Patel said.

