This hapless puppy had to be rescued after trying to catch his lunch and getting his head stuck in a garden pot.

The six-month-old mutt was sniffing around inside the large clay vase when he spotted a beetle at the bottom, which he tried to catch.

He shoved his nose in but couldn't get down past his shoulders – and then found himself unable to pull his head out again.

The pot toppled over and the dog, named "Big Boy", was left lying on the floor whimpering for help in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on April 24.

Resident Tanong Boss arrived and used a wrench to crack open the ceramic garden pot and free the dog.

He said: ''I was told by my sister that her pet dog was trapped and came to help. The dog was six-months-old and couldn't get out of the jar.

''He was scraping on the floor and trying to get himself out. He barked for a while and was breathing heavily. We were afraid he would suffocate.

''We thought that he would suffer if he was left like that for a long time so we decided to break the pot and free him.''