- - Curious Dog Gets Cactus Stuck on Its Head During Neighborhood Walk, Owner Films the Prickly Removal Process (Exclusive)

Meredith WilshereDecember 28, 2025 at 7:30 AM

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Emily Michelle

Emily Michelle's dog, Jax, with a cactus on his head. -

It was just like any other day when Emily Michelle took her beloved dog, Jax, out for a walk in Arizona

This time, however, the two went on a different path

Michelle turned away for one minute and couldn't believe what she saw when Jax came back over

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Arizona when Emily Michelle grabbed her leash and took her dog, Jax, for a walk around the area, just like she usually does.

That day, however, she decided to take a slightly different route — and would later regret it.

Michelle, 25, tells PEOPLE that, as she and the 6-year-old dog approached the end of the street, Jax "suddenly" pulled himself to the curb to do some sniffing, "which he usually does," so she let him.

However, when she looked down at him again one minute later, he had a thick piece of cactus stuck to his head.

“He wasn't panicking or showing any signs of pain, and I couldn't help but snap a photo of him," she says. "It was just one of those things that you don't see every day!"

Michelle says that Jax, who is a basenji/cattle dog mix, has never been pricked by a cactus in the six years she has had him, despite living in the desert in Mesa, Ariz.

"At this point, I'm getting a little anxious, and I knew at that moment that my only option was to get it off," she shares.

So, she propped up her camera and recorded the process. She later posted the video to her TikTok account, and it went viral, amassing over 4.6 million views.

Emily Michelle

Emily Michelle's dog, Jax.

“As you can see in the video, I began to walk him through the process, informing him of what I'm going to do," she says. "In a moment like that, the best thing you can do is remain as calm as possible and don't panic. Because I knew that if I got elevated, he would too. Dogs are like kids that way."

After several minutes of carefully pulling on the cactus piece while soothing the pup, Michelle was able to get it off.

“Thankfully, it was mainly stuck to his fur; the prickly parts weren't stabbing him in any way," Michelle says. "He handled it like a champ! And for the most part, he was just confused and unbothered. It definitely wasn't comfortable for him, and I knew that he trusted that I was helping him."

After she posted the video, she was advised to start carrying a comb with her on walks just in case it ever happens again.

“If I could give anyone any advice for a situation like that, or any scary situation in general, it would be to relax and remain calm," she tells PEOPLE. "The energy that you emit is the energy that your dog, or anyone, is going to feel, and they will only reflect that energy back to you. You get what you give."

She also advises others in a similar situation to “do your best to ground your mind and find a solution!”

“Yes, I could've taken him to the vet, but I knew that at that moment I was capable of showing up for my baby. And that is exactly what I did, and everything was okay,” Michelle shares.

She’s taken Jax on walks several times since then and has made sure to keep him away from anything prickly.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”