A raccoon got stuck in a storm grate. Ten firefighters in Newton, Massachusetts, worked to get it out.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Firefighters in Massachusetts, along with backup responders, spent two hours Thursday freeing a raccoon that had gotten stuck in a storm grate.
The Newton Fire Department tweeted a picture of the critter with its head sticking out of one of the grate's holes, and its paws grasping adjacent bars to support himself.
Newton Fire Lt. Phil McCully told NBC News that the department got a call about the trapped raccoon from a bicyclist riding to work.
A responding crew of four firefighters first tried to lubricate the raccoon's head with dish soap so he would "slip out," McCully said. Photos show the raccoon lathered with suds, its fur plastered to his face.
The Newton Fire Department needed some help to free the critter so they called in Animal Control Officer Deanna Gualtieri, local veterinarian Adam Boardman and Cataldo Ambulance. Mark Garfinkel / BC10 BostonBut the raccoon didn't budge, even though "this method usually works 90 percent of the time," McCully said.
So the firefighters removed the grate from the sidewalk, hoping, with the animal's feet on the ground and some leverage, the raccoon would be able to pull itself free. No dice.
The next method was to use medical gauze to compress the animal's neck and slip him free, which the department does to remove rings stuck on people's fingers.
When that didn't work, an animal control officer was called to the scene, but she was also unable to free the raccoon.
A local veterinarian then arrived to sedate the critter. With its tense neck muscles relaxed, it was finally freed from the grate.
By the end of the ordeal, 10 firefighters had joined the effort, McCully said.
"It was quite the operation," said a tweet from the Newton Fire Department. "We rescue citizens both big and small!!!"
The raccoon was taken by Waltham Animal Control for observation, and will be released into the wild when the medication wears off, McCully said.
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For the love of animals.
Something that goes beyond partisan politics.
Have a tale of your own? Share it!
Went through a 15 year war with raccoons in my last house in KC. They continually ate through my roof, walls, kitchen cabinets and killed my cat.
I now trap and/or shoot all raccoons on my property out in the woods. Missed a shot on one today.. Seems I now have a raccoon problem out in the woods. A mother and 5 young ones.
I set live traps and then shoot them through the trap in the back of the head.
All raccoons die that get anywhere near my property.
Conversely, A few groundhogs have taken up residency here, and they are friendly and walk up to me so I feed them and scratch them behind their ears rather than shoot them.
Who knew that groundhogs could make such good pets?
These wild groundhogs are almost tame and friendly.
We actually carry on conversations.
She wakes me up and lets me know when the feral pigs go after my garden
You have to get up pretty early in the morning to ruffle Perrie's feathers.
Having said that...
Please Mr. Buzzkill, have another drink, and then go screw off.
I have lots of raccoons on my property and the only thing that they do is sometimes manage to open raccoon proof garbage pails.
And we have groundhogs and they are very friendly!
Since when do fish eat raccoons?
I assume that you have never had a serious raccoon problem where they invade and destroy.
Probably gonna need two unless you can get a good sized one but the meat is really greasy alot like goose. Better off sticking with squirrels.😁
I don't drink, but do defend my home against all who would destroy it. 4 or 2 legs.
Sorry you felt the need to attack me.
You'll have to ask granny Clampett about that.
My aunt had one named Nerley. I used to use him to pick up guys.
Ha, ha! Well, this was a great training exercise. The story may sound silly but the purpose was very serious. And I'd bet the rescue crew had some fun besides. Good on 'em!
Used to be a paramedic and rescuing a raccoon would have been a waste of time and valuable resources. Just shoot the damn thing and get back to saving humans (unless the TV cameras were there).
Had a baby raccoon as a pet when I was a kid. It started biting me and my little sister so dad killed it.
Trying to domesticate a wild animal is never a good idea.
Even Ellie Mae Clampett (Donna Douglas) was bitten a few times by her "critters" filming the Beverly Hillbillies.
Seems to me a 10 pound sledgehammer would have freed the critter a lot faster.
I'm kidding, glad they freed the little feller and we all got to read about something other than the normal partisan rhetoric, thanks Perrie