A stray dog was rescued after it was found with its head stuck between the bars of a metal gate.

The hapless pooch was heard whimpering outside the home in Ratchaburi, central Thailand on December 25.

Homeowner Supree said she rushed outside and tried to comfort the dog, which she believes had been looking for food and shelter.

"His face looked so miserable, " she said. ''He was tired and I felt really sorry for him.''

Rescue workers arrived and comforted the dog while they used hydraulic metal cutters to break through several iron bars on the gate.

It took them 15 minutes to cut the fence so that the dog's neck could be freed. The pooch then scampered away into the street.

Supree said: ''I hope he doesn't come back and get stuck in the gate again. I hope he has learned his lesson.''