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Daisy had a tough day. The 11-year-old yellow lab lives in New Jersey and is known for getting in to trouble. But she finally outdid herself when she stuck her head through a truck’s spare tire rim–and got completely stuck.

The pup tried and tried to get free. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t back out of a tire. Luckily for Daisy, her family found her immediately. They tried to pull her out of the tire and were also stumped. Eventually, they called 911.

Police and firefighter first responders gathered in an auto shop around a dog trapped in a truck's spare tire rim.
Rescuing Daisy | Franklinville NJ Volunteer Fire Company via Facebook

The emergency services dispatcher had no idea how to route the call. But she eventually decided on the Franklinville Volunteer Fire Company. And it’s a good thing she did.

The fire fighters arrived full of ideas. They poured dish soap on Daisy’s neck, hoping she’d get slippery enough to free herself. But that didn’t work. So then they tried some vegetable oil. Still, no dice. Finally, they carefully wrapped her neck in plastic, but she was stuck fast.

Lieutenant Brandon Volpe noticed that the poor dog was growing short of breath and her eyes were getting red. He needed to free her fast: it was time for drastic action.

A truck spare tire rim with a section of metal cut away to free a trapped dog.
Daisy’s tire | Daisy the yellow lab | Franklinville NJ Volunteer Fire Company via Facebook

The firefighters figured out that a red Radio Flyer wagon with sideboards was the exact right height to hold the tire and Daisy without any weight on her neck. Once they’d figured out how to transport her, they took her to Volpe’s shop. He spent a few minutes engineering a way to shield her from any sparks and heat. Then he set to work with his industrial plasma cutter. Within minutes the rim was in pieces and Daisy was free.

The next day Daisy appeared on the news, wagging her tail and full of energy. Great to know her harrowing story had a happy ending.

Next, find out about the dog who ran for help after her owner’s car crash, or see Daisy for yourself in the video below: