Dog stuck in shipping container for 40 days is Panama Ministry's newest employee

Months ago, Panama port officials opened a shipping container to be met by a one-year-old canine. A stowaway on what was supposed to be an empty shipping container, the dog travelled to the Atlantico port from Spain.

On sea for 20 days, the container carrying the puppy spent another 20 days in storage before it was opened by port officials.

"It's the story of a heroine because a little animal that is inside a container for 40 days, with no water, no food, how did it fight for its life?" said Cecilia de Escobar, the national director for animal health at the ministry.


Now, the puppy - nick named Mili - is being inducted into Panama's MIDA Agricultural Development Ministry as part of the canine unit. Named Milagros (miracle) by the port officials, the four legged wonder made an incredible journey from stowaway to the canine unit in months.

When she was found, Mili weighed about nine pounds, having spent 40 days starved, dehydrated and trapped. Now, she is thrice that, clocking in at 27 pounds.

As part of the canine unit, she's been trained to detect detect grains, fruit and charcuterie and is moving on to detecting the presence of the giant African snail.