Dog Freed From Smudge Pot Reunited With Owner

SAN JACINTO (AP) — A curious dog that wandered off and got his head stuck in the top of a smudge pot is back home with his owner in Southern California.

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services said Tuesday that Daniel Carlson heard about his dog's plight from friends who saw the story on television news and the Internet.

Carlson went to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Shelter on Monday to retrieve his pet named "Blue."

Animal services officer Amy Farrell discovered the dog with the canister portion of a smudge pot on Friday afternoon. The dog's head was stuck, but Farrell and another officer were able to free him.

The dog was nicknamed "Smokey" by the officers because his head was blackened by the smudge pot.

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