MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – A Pomeranian named Odin is safe after getting his head stuck in a metal dog gate in Brevard County, and video of the rescue has turned him into an internet celebrity.
Odin’s owner, Taeli Trounbly, said it happened Wednesday night after dinner, when Odin went outside.
She said she went outside and found Odin with his head stuck in the gate.
“His head was stuck on the wall. So I obviously approached him and I tried to grab his head, but this little guy, he’s really fluffy,” Trounbly said. “I was a little panicked. I had to go OK, what do I do now?”
Trounbly said she tried to free him herself, including trying to cut the gate with a saw.
“He was not comfortable at all,” she said. “He was so tight in there that I was actually worried.”
Eventually, she called 911.
“I’m like, I think my dog is stuck in a baby gate. He’s a Pomeranian, by the way,” Trounbly said.
Brevard County Fire Rescue arrived within minutes.
“I heard a truck, so I ran down the driveway, and I was waving my arms,” Trounbly said. “They came out calm. And we brought Odin closer, and they gave him a few little pats, and he kind of just chilled.”
Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to spread the metal gate just enough to free Odin.
“They came out with the big Jaws of Life, and I’ve never seen those,” Trounbly said. “It was smooth like butter.”
Odin was not hurt.
“He’s got no injuries. Nothing to talk about there,” Trounbly said. “He is great. He’s better than ever.”
Trounbly posted video of the rescue on TikTok, where it has racked up millions of views in just a few days.
“I texted my little brother, I’m like, hey, your nephew is famous,” Trounbly said.
She said she thinks the video connected with people because it has a happy ending.
“There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and I think that it’s nice to see something soft and sweet and just a funny little stinker, spunky little Pom, getting rescued by people who do amazing work every day,” Trounbly said.
On Friday, Trounbly brought Odin to the fire station to thank the crew that helped him.
“It was really cool just how quick they were there and the sense of urgency for this little guy,” Trounbly said. “He’s important, but there’s other major things happening. It was really nice. And how they treated my dog, I think that was what left a mark on me and him the most. They were so kind, so gentle.”
You can see the viral video on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gbKank/