Ever since the Colorado Fire Department was first established, it was a normal thing for them to receive several SOS calls throughout the day. The firefighters deployed there were habitual in dealing with such situations and were always prepared. However, nothing could have prepared them up for that day when they received one ‘normal’ call about some puppies that need immediate rescue.
The fire-fighting crew thought that it would go like a typical day – they would arrive at the location and get done with the job in a matter of hours. Little did they know that this case would be completely different. What they discovered shocked the crew and the whole world!
Duties of a firefighter
If you think that the only role a firefighter has to play is to put out fires, you are wrong. Firefighters are the ultimate rescuers and they play an important role in rescuing everything that breathes. That includes all kinds of animals that you can imagine.
They are called to help whenever an animal needs to be rescued and they sometimes also deal with medical emergencies.
Just another call
It was just another day at the Fire Department when they received a call. The firefighters were chilling around because their shift had just begun. None of the crew had any idea that they would remember that day for the rest of their lives!
The call was about rescuing a bunch of animals. As soon as the call was over, a team was deployed. They had no idea what kind of animals they were going to deal with.
A word of caution
Rescuing animals is difficult because they can be unpredictable. Getting in a dangerous situation, they become even more unpredictable and dangerous because of their survival instincts.
This is why firefighters are always given a word of caution while dealing with situations like this. There are a certain set of rules that need to be followed to ensure the safety of the animals and firefighters. This time it was vital to follow them!
Confident firefighters
The team that was sent for that particular rescue mission was very experienced. They were confident that come what may, they will successfully complete this mission. They arrived at the scene as quickly as they could. The team knew that every second matters in these situations.
Soon they realized that this case would be more complicated than those they used to deal with. As prepared and confident as they were, the team had no clue what they were about to deal with.
The storm grate
The squad exited the fire truck with confidence and all the gear they brought with them. It was truly a sight to behold! The people who had gathered there showed them exactly where the animals were, and that's when they got the first shock...
The animals were stock in... a storm grate! It took some time for the firefighters to make sense of the situation and decide how to proceed!
Rain
They quickly checked the sky. If it would rain, it could have made matters even worse and the rescue mission harder. Luckily, it was a sunny day so the CSFD firefighters sighed with relief.
They also knew that they needed to act fast, despite the fact that it wasn’t raining at that time. They started brainstorming about how to go around with the situation.
Laying out the plan
The firefighters assembled in one place and started assessing the situation. Although they couldn’t see clearly inside the storm grate, it was pretty evident that the animals that they were about to rescue, were tiny. It was also agreed at that point that they won’t be able to come out of the pit themselves.
The squad then decided that they would send one man down to rescue the helpless animals. Was it the best decision?
Baby steps
First up, they had to lift the storm grate and that too required a bit of planning because it was heavy. After successfully lifting the storm grate and keeping it aside, they could have a clearer peek inside the pit. Moreover, they could hear the cries of whatever was inside.
Upon listening closely, they figured out that they were tiny babies of an animal. Now which animal you ask? That still remained a mystery.
Puzzled firefighters
After deciding which firefighter would go inside to bring the tiny babies out, the rest of them started discussing. The prime topic of discussion was the question of what were the babies doing inside the storm grate and more importantly, how did they get there in the first place.
That wasn’t a suitable place to keep a tiny animal, let alone such tiny animals! What was even more puzzling was the fact that their mother wasn’t there with them.
Unknown species
While a bunch of them came up with their own theories on how they could get there in the first place, the main question remained what species they belonged to. The firefighters also had to figure out the layout of the sewer before they could send one of their men in.
They also needed to take this fact into consideration that their mother could be nearby and could pose a threat to them.
Miracle
The people who were standing there to watch the whole thing unfold, also got to take a sneak peek inside the pit and they too started wondering about the whole thing. It then became a general consensus that it was no less than a miracle that the tiny babies were still alive.
They had no access to warmth, water or food and moreover, they were in a very cramped space that was filled with garbage and mud.
Tough call
The rescue squad knew that the whole situation needed to be dealt with complete caution because they knew that if their mother returned to the site, things could become a lot harder.
Also, some animals don’t come near their babies at all if they sense that a human has touched them. It was a really tough call for the firefighters.
Immediate help
The team was still unsure about their species but they knew one thing. The tiny babies required immediate help and to do that, first they had to get them out of the storm grate.
It is also believed that if the animals were domestic, they needed quick help but if they were wild, they had a better chance at survival.
The rescue
Finally, the rescue squad decided to go ahead with the mission and finally commence it. The firefighter who went inside the grate to get the babies out, wore proper gloves just to ensure their scent wasn’t left on the babies.
They took every necessary precaution to ensure the safety of the babies and to do so, a sheet was placed beside the sewer. This is where the babies would be kept after they were out of the grate.
Small baby
Everyone who was present there was constantly praying for the well-being of the tiny animals and for the firefighter who went inside the pit as well.
The firefighter finally managed to bring out one of the babies and when they saw the baby in broad daylight, no one could believe how tiny and cute it was! It also started to roll around as soon as it was placed on the sheet.
They were puppies!
The firefighter was hard at work and wasn’t wasting any time. He was rescuing the rest of the babies as if his own life was dependent on the whole task. Soon enough, all the babies were successfully rescued.
The squad surrounded the rescued babies to ensure what exactly they were and guess what they turned out to be? Puppies!
Abandoned
It was pretty evident by then that the puppies had absolutely no business in the sewer and the team was still confused about how they ended up there. Majority of the people who were present there agreed in unison that someone must have abandoned the puppies.
It was quite an unsettling thought but looking at the puppies’ condition, it was the only explanation that made actual sense.
Important lesson
It isn’t unheard of owners abandoning their animals when they no longer want them. We have witnessed multiple scenarios around us as well, haven’t we? The rescue mission was almost over and all the people who were present there, watching the whole event unfold, learnt a very important lesson that day – not to abandon any animal in such a dangerous and inhuman condition.
There are far better options out there if you wish to no longer take care of your pet.
They had been there for the days
Now that the puppies were finally out and safe for the time being, things started to make more sense than ever.
As it turned out, the puppies had been inside the pit not just for hours, but for days! It was indeed a miracle that they were still alive.
Why were they there?
Once all the puppies were rescued out of the storm grate, they grouped together for warmth as they were neatly laid on the sheet. The firefighters wanted to know the complete story and they started asking around.
Luckily, they got to know about the lady who had placed the call to them earlier that day. A guy who was present there, knew the lady’s house and went to call her out.
Lady told the truth
The lady soon arrived at the scene and the firefighters fired questions at her because they wanted to know what exactly happened. She revealed that she placed a call to them when she saw the puppies get swept into the storm drain by a stream.
Everyone who was present there could breathe a sigh of relief when they got to know that the puppies weren’t abandoned.
Lady’s efforts
The lady also revealed that when she saw the babies getting swept away with the stream, she immediately left what she was doing and rushed to catch them but sadly, she couldn’t reach there on time.
She even tried to lift the storm grate’s cover to get the babies out but she didn’t have the right tools or enough strength to do that.
Called for rescue
When she realized that she alone cannot save the tiny puppies, she even called for help in her vicinity. Seeing the old woman crying for help, some of the neighbours came out to see what was going on.
A bunch of men tried to lift the cover up but found no success. Ultimately, the lady decided to call the fire department.
Good lady
When the squad heard the whole story, they started clapping for the lady and following their footsteps, all the people present there started appreciating her too. The whole point behind it was to create an example in front of the whole community.
The example was that if you feel that something is wrong, you should try to fix it.
What kind of dogs were they?
After making sure that the puppies were safe and sound, the firefighters started their guessing game again. Now that they were of the belief that the little babies were indeed puppies, they started guessing their exact breed.
Many of the firefighters placed their bet on Labradors while some believed they were German Shepherds.
A safe haven
Once the rescue was wrapped up completely, the firefighters took the puppies to their next destination.
It was a government animal hospital and the reason why they were brought here was because of a general checkup.
Excellent health
Once the doctors present there looked at the puppies thoroughly, they informed the firefighters that they were in excellent condition and very healthy.
They were fit and strong and nobody could tell that they just came out of death’s jaws. Hearing this, the firefighters couldn’t have been happier!
The shocker
Mark Jenkins was one of the firefighters who carried out the rescue mission. Being a good man that he was, he left his contact number with the doctor who was in charge of taking care of the puppies and asked the doctor to call him in case there were any updates about the puppies.
To his surprise, he received a call right after he reached home that day. That call was from the same doctor and he had shocking news to deliver.
They weren’t puppies
The doctor informed Mark Jenkins that the tiny animal babies that they left with the hospital, thinking that they were puppies, they actually weren’t! They were something else entirely!
Mark couldn’t believe what the doctor was saying. If they weren’t puppies, what could they be?
Baby foxes
The vet soon disclosed that they weren’t even dogs but they were baby foxes! Mark went into a state of absolute shock when he got to know that the animals that they rescued were actually baby foxes!
This was something that he wouldn’t have thought of in a million years! It took a lot of time for him to come to peace with this fact.
They were dead wrong
The main question was, how could everyone who was present there could be so wrong!
He asked the vet the same question and then all his doubts came to rest when the vet explained that puppies and fox cubs tend to look very similar when they are newborns.
Happy nonetheless
Mark soon broke the news to his squad and everyone had the same reaction as Mark. They too couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
It took some time for the rescue squad to digest this shocking revelation but they were ultimately happy that they managed to save the baby foxes from the storm grate.
Handed them over to authorities
Mark stayed in contact with the vet who was taking care of the baby foxes. After they grew up a little, the hospital authorities decided that it was illogical to keep the baby foxes with them anymore so they handed them over to the Forest department.
The Forest department then released the baby foxes into the jungle where they actually belonged.This news soon broke the internet when people got to know that a squad of firefighters saved a bunch of puppies, only to realize some days later that they were actually baby foxes!