It all started with an SOS call. This was nothing new to the Colorado Springs Fire Department, but they were not prepared for what was about to unfold. As protocol dictates, they immediately drove to the scene and started rescuing 8 puppies they found in a storm drain. After several hours, they would find out that there was something amiss about the situation. Who would have thought those animals they just save were not puppies after all?
Job Demands
Are you aware that there is more to a career in firefighting than simply putting out fires? The job also requires them to help out in a variety of situations. On that note, firemen do not only help people in need.
Job Demands
Not Just Fires
Apart from containing fires and the like, firemen actually conduct valuable services for the community. They help out during medical emergencies, respond to hazardous materials reports, and inspect new buildings. These are only a handful of the unexpected things they do!
Not Just Fires
Response Time
To be able to attend to those in need as soon as possible, the Colorado Springs Fire Department placed emergency response resources in many parts of the city. This is what allows them to get to anywhere in the city in only 8 minutes in 90% of such cases!
Response Time
Equipment
Of course, it goes without saying that it is important for them to have the proper equipment for situations such as this one. In order to address the community’s needs, the department has 22 engine companies, 3 medical squads, 6 truck companies, a hazmat team, and a HeavyHazmate team. Not only this, but they also have 11 brush trucks, a hose wagon, an air supply truck, and a vehicle for hazardous materials decontamination. None of these would be of any use without the personnel handling them!
Equipment
Just A Normal Day
In the beginning, it seemed just like a regular workday for the men and women of the Colorado Spring Fire Department. Needless to say, they had no clue just how strange their day would turn out to be. Rescues were common enough, but there was something different about this one. Are you ready to find out what happened?
Just A Normal Day
A Call
On that fateful day, the Colorado Spring Fire Department got an SOS call for an animal rescue. In just a couple of minutes, they headed out to answer the call. They knew that time was of the essence. Unbeknownst to them, this rescue was going to be a little different from what they were used to.
A Call
Precautions
When we talk about rescuing or saving animals, firemen have to take certain precautions. Animals all have different behaviors and mannerisms, so you cannot expect them to act the exact same way when they are faced with a threat. There are some that tend to act more aggressively when they sense potential danger. This is why firefighters follow certain rules to ensure that both they and the animals are safe.
Precautions
Always Prepared
These things are going to help you understand the story better. Firefighters must handle the situation with great care. It doesn’t matter what situation they find themselves in; they need to ensure the safety of everyone involved. They were unsure what animals needed their help, so they had to prepare for all sorts of eventualities.
Always Prepared
No Worries
The firemen were not very worried about the job since they actually had tons of experience already. Even though they did not know what kind of animals the job called for, they knew the rescue mission was nothing they could not handle.
No Worries
Assessment
They did not hesitate and got into the truck. The team then went to the location the caller told them about. What they found were animals trapped beneath the storm grate. They knew that the animals below would be in trouble if ever it rained.
Assessment
The Clock Is Ticking
If there was no rain, the animals were not going to be in immediate danger. Despite this, the team knew that it was important to address the situation right away. Not only was the enclosure dark and deep, but it was also cold. They had no time to lose. It was then that they started making a plan.
The Clock Is Ticking
Quick Thinking
They could tell that the animals inside were small creatures because the sewer grate was not that deep. Despite this, the animals could not get out of the enclosure. Luckily, this also meant the team could only send a man or two to get the animals out of there. It was time to prep for the rescue mission.
Quick Thinking
First Look
The firefighters began the mission by raising the storm grate to gain access to the space. Even from where they were, they could hear the audible cries of the animals. They then realized they were dealing with babies! The firemen were still in the shadows about the animals and how they even got there.
First Look
No Home
After all, there was no rational reason why such small animals would be down there. Animals naturally had better luck in the wilderness. Without a doubt, the animals were too far from their natural habitat. Of course, they also wondered where their mother could have gone off to.
No Home
Abandoned
The firefighters still knew nothing about the animals down there except that they were babies in need of some rescuing. They spent a while figuring out the general layout of the sewer to find the best way to deal with it. If the parents had been around, there was a chance they got spooked and ran off.
Abandoned
A Difficult Situation
The team was surprised to find that all the babies were fine after reaching them. Who can blame them for thinking this? There were dirt and garbage everywhere. The babies must have felt cold and hungry. The firefighters had been unsure that the babies would end up okay, but it was important to help them anyway.
A Difficult Situation
Delicate Situation
The firemen knew better than anyone how important it was to approach the situation with caution. If the mother was actually in the area, she would prefer to take themselves out of the sewer by herself. Should the firefighters rescue the cubs then, the mother might return and then abandon her babies. However, time was ticking. They had to act right away.
Delicate Situation
Stressful Moments
The identity of the animals had still been under wraps at the time. This was another thing that made it hard to figure out if the mother could possibly be nearby or not. They could not ascertain what the best thing to do was, although it was clear to them that they needed to do something.
Stressful Moments
Deciding
It was a tough call for the firefighters. Should they abandon the babies and simply pray that the mother returns for them? Or would it be wiser to rescue the poor babies themselves since the mother was not around anyway? The babies needed help if they were to survive. It was of utmost importance to go and see what the animals were.
Deciding
Investigating
From their current position, they could not figure out what the animals were. The only way to find out was to rescue them from there. If they were domestic creatures, serious help was going to be needed. Meanwhile, wild animals had higher chances of surviving on their own.
Investigating
The Rescue
The rescuers did not forget to slip on some gloves to avoid marking the babies with their scent. They even placed a sheet by the sewer. The firefighters did this so that they could have a place to put the baby animals after pulling them out.
The Rescue
The First
They did not hesitate to take their take as they reached down and retrieved the first of the lot. The firefighters were shocked to find exactly how tiny the baby was! After resting that one on the sheet, they watched the baby roll around all cute and innocent.
The First
Man’s Best Friend
After taking a good look at the first baby, they finally figured out what kind of animal they had on their hands: puppies! However, this revelation only confused them as they had no clue how they could have possibly gotten down there. There was no reason for puppies to be in the sewer, after all.
Man’s Best Friend
Upsetting
Even the firefighters could not believe what they were seeing. One of their worries had been that the owner placed the puppies down in the sewer. They knew that it was actually rather common for pets to be left behind by the person supposed to take care of them. These people are under the impression that this was the only thing to do if they could no longer afford to keep them for whatever reason.
Upsetting
Cold Hard Truths
The team wanted to believe that the situation did not come about because of the actions of a person. It was such a heartbreaking thing to even think about. It made the firefighters act quicker as they wanted to ensure the safety of all the puppies.
Cold Hard Truths
Easy Solution
We hope that all pet owners keep in mind that this is not what you should do if you can no longer care for your dogs. It is terrible to leave any animal in such a horrible environment. The firefighters hoped that this would not be the case.
Easy Solution
Litter
The firefighters could not tell the number of the puppies that were trapped below the grate. They would only find out when they finally pulled out every single one of them. It was a good thing that the sewer was not particularly deep as this made the rescue a little easier.
Litter
Huddle
The puppies were probably feeling a lot of confusion. We don’t blame them at all. After all, they were stashed in a chilly and dark sewer before they found themselves surrounded by strange human beings. They huddled together in an effort to keep each other warm. It was likely they had been there for days.
Huddle
Gathering Information
The firemen still had no idea how such a situation could happen. They started talking to the person who made the call to piece everything together. According to her, she witnessed how the puppies were swept away by a rapidly moving stream. They ended up going into the storm drain!
Gathering Information
A Sigh of Relief
The firefighters were glad that the puppies did not get trapped there on purpose. Of course, this made them see the situation in a completely different light. The puppies only found themselves too close to the drain and subsequently fell into it.
A Sigh of Relief
Quick To Act
After seeing the puppies be swept away by the water, the woman did not hesitate to try and help them. She went after them, but she could not get to the puppies in time. She even attempted to unlatch the grate all by herself, although she was unable to do this without any tools at her disposal.
Quick To Act
Calling in for Help
After realizing that she did not have the means to carry out a rescue on her own, she decided to get some help. Luckily for her and the puppies, the firemen knew how to handle such a case. Moreover, they had the tools necessary to do so. They were glad she had her wits about her.
Calling in for Help
One To Remember
The team had been glad to hear that it was only an accident after all. A person witnessed the animals in a dangerous situation, and her instinct was to help out. Wouldn’t it be a nicer world if everyone would follow in her footsteps when dealing with such precarious situations?
One To Remember
Guessing Game
After retrieving the pups, they tried to figure out exactly what kind of dogs they were. They noted that they were all black dogs with short and wiry hair. The conclusion they reached was that they were Labradors. However, they had no idea that they were on the wrong track.
Guessing Game
Next Step
After getting the puppies out of the drain and ensuring they were all fine, the crew wanted to get a professional opinion on their state of being. That was the reason that they ended bringing the pooches to a Humane Society location.
Next Step
Good News
They were relieved to hear that the puppies were all perfectly fine. They were not in a malnourished state, and the vet even said they were all strong and healthy! The firemen thought that was the end of it.
Good News
Updates
A fireman by the name of Mark Jenkins had been on the team. He left his contact information with the professionals dealing with the puppies. He wanted to hear updates about the creatures they saved. Despite this, he did not expect to hear from them so soon. What was up?
Updates
Interesting News
The vet was quick to tell him that there were no problems with the puppies. He also thanked the team for taking them to the clinic. However, there was one incredible piece of information he shared with Mark. What could it have been?
Interesting News
The Surprise
The vet informed Mark that there was something unexpected about the puppies. Apparently, the tiny creatures were not even puppies! Can you believe they were not actually dogs? Mark had a hard time believing this in the beginning. What could they possibly be if they were not dogs?
The Surprise
The Explanation
The vet then explained that the animals they saved and thought were puppies were actually baby red foxes! According to him, it was common to mistake fox cubs for puppies because they looked so similar at that stage of their lives. The name was actually a bit of a misnomer as they don’t generally look red.
The Explanation
Doing Something Good
Mark shared the unbelievable news with the other people on his team. As you can imagine, they could not believe what they heard either! They were all so sure that those were puppies. Despite everything they since found out, the crew felt no regrets about carrying out the rescue mission.
Doing Something Good
Returning
Although the baby foxes had finally been rescued, the story does not end there. The vet explained that the mother was probably around the area, likely looking for her babies. A reunion could happen if only the firemen could return the cubs there as soon as possible.
Returning
Worth A Try
It might seem like a reversal of everything they accomplished earlier that day, but the firemen were aware that it was the best option the babies had. They placed the cubs back in the sewer drain with a little reluctance. The crew ensured that they would watch everything that would happen this time.
Worth A Try
Patience
After putting the fox cubs in the sewer, the next thing to do was to wait with as much patience as possible. They decided to remain at a safe distance to avoid scaring the mother. There was a good chance that she would not return until nightfall. Waiting was the name of the game.
Patience
The Red Fox
The red fox is a smart and cunning animal that generally remains inside the den in the daytime and heads out in the nighttime. Unfortunately, the team did not see any sign of the momma fox that night. They hoped she would come there during the morning.
The Red Fox
Western European Fox
In Scandinavia, you will find the Arctic Fox. In Western Russia, you will find the corsac fox. However, red foxes are the only ones that exist naturally in Western Europe. There is another thing that separates it from the other kinds of foxes out there. Apparently, red foxes are the biggest among the true foxes.
Western European Fox
No Show
After waiting for a significant amount of time, the mother still had to show up. They heard the babies calling from where they were placed. It was highly possible that the mommy fox felt spooked by the terrible weather.
No Show
Acceptance
We truly understand why everyone would be feeling rather impatient after waiting for nothing. After several nights of this, it was reasonable enough to assume she would not return. They then decided that it was time to intervene for the safety of the baby foxes.
Acceptance
The Next Move
After making this important decision, it was time for them to make a move once again. They got the babies out of the sewer for the second time and took them to the Woodland Park Animal Clinic. The establishment was surely going to do their best to help the animals.
The Next Move
Helping Hand
The clinic was known for the rehabilitation of different sorts of animals. For foxes and the like, the staff tried to raise the baby animals until they could live independently in the wild. Although the foxes were finally in good hands, the story was far from over.
Helping Hand
Learning
The story about the fox cubs might be a little funny, but there are many things we can learn from this as well. The firefighters learned a number of things during this ordeal. There is plenty we still have to know about such animals and the way we could help them when necessary.
Learning
Less Surprising
It was only natural that this team of firefighters was surprised by the revelation that these creatures were baby foxes. However, animal experts could have predicted this. They believed that the mother fox mated several months before that incident. This means the babies were newborns!
Less Surprising
Perfect Location
There was one more thing that did not shock the animal experts about this situation. We are talking about the fact that this all went down in Colorado! The state, after all, has a reputation for its high population of foxes. The terrain in the area makes for perfect dens for the lovely creatures.
Perfect Location
Wildlife In Colorado
As a matter of fact, Colorado has a wide variety of wild animals. You will also find deer, mountain lions, snakes, coyotes, and bears there. Generally, wildlife and people can live side by side, although let us not forget that these wild animals are different from our pets. It is best to leave them alone.
Wildlife In Colorado
Dark And Cool
It might not sound likely that the cub’s mother left them in the sewer grate on purpose, but there was a pretty good reason to do this. According to animal experts, fox dens are typically cool and dark spaces. The sewer grate sounds like it fit that description, doesn’t it?
Dark And Cool
Mistake
Of course, we now know that it was not a wise move for the mother fox to leave her cubs there all alone. Even though the sewer was cool and dark, the similarities to regular fox dens are not quite enough to make it a great place to raise cubs in.
Mistake
Place Of Birth
The story was becoming clearer with each piece of information they gathered. No one could definitively answer how the babies got down there in the first place, but many speculate that the mother birthed them in the sewer. However, the question now is whether the fox cubs would survive after everything.
Place Of Birth
Silver Lining
It was a little sad that the fox cubs were abandoned by their mother, although we are sure they will do alright. You will probably be relieved to hear that going through rehabilitation at such a young age helped them.
Silver Lining
Big Cities
The firemen might have been surprised to discover the fox cubs in the city, although this is not actually all that uncommon. In growing cities, animals often roam around the streets since skyscrapers and other buildings have overtaken where they used to live.
Big Cities
Wildlife Encounters
If you want to keep your life free from unexpected encounters with wildlife, there are a couple of things you can do. First of all, avoid feeding the animals, store your pet food inside, and fill up any hole and crack that are significant in size. These should keep the rats, snakes, mice, and bats away.
Wildlife Encounters
Adapting
Foxes are now becoming common sights in urban places, which has led to people viewing them as miscreants and pets. However, we should look at things from a different perspective. With urbanization on the rise, animals are having a hard time looking for places to call home.
Adapting
Getting Help
The person who witnessed the cubs made the right by contacting the fire department. She did not try to handle things on her own as she knows that it is important to let experts take care of such a situation. Many animals should be left alone unless you have the proper background to help them.
Getting Help
Not All Bad
A lot of the time, people will assume that little animals are actually in trouble whenever they are left alone. Keep in mind that this is not true all of the time, however. Newborn animals such as baby rabbits can actually survive by themselves for nearly an entire day.
Not All Bad
Happy Resolution
If you ask us, the baby foxes got the ending they deserved. It is not so bad that they were discovered by a woman compassionate enough to help them out and rescued by firemen who knew what to do. Together, they managed to ensure the safety of the fox cubs. Let us hope their good luck extends to their future as well.
Happy Resolution
Keeping An Eye Out
With more cities expanding each passing day, it is getting harder and harder for animals to find habitats. This is the reason we highly recommend getting in touch with experts if you find an animal that seems to be out of place!
Keeping An Eye Out