Firefighters Save Tiny Pups, Then Realize They’re Not Even Dogs

When you think of firefighters you immediately picture them running out to stop a blazing inferno. While this is their primary function, firefighters have many other kinds of rescue missions to do. These include not only saving human lives but the lives of all living things. Firefighters never really know what to expect when they get called out. They simply adapt to and deal with the situation once they are there. Sometimes their jobs can take hours and it can take its toll on them. But even in those times, firefighters go above and beyond to give their best and save those in need. A perfect example of this is the story of some Colorado firefighters who thought they’d seen everything. Then they rescued some puppies and realized the truth about them.

A Day Like Any Other

It started out like every other day for the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Everyone was there and ready for any emergency. Everything had been checked and prepared and the truck was ready to go at a moment’s notice. That day would turn out to be unlike any other they had faced before. A single phone call would make sure of that.

Different Kind Of Rescue

On this particular day in March, the team sat around chatting about some of their previous exploits. The day had started off very quietly so they looked forward to seeing what the rest of the day would bring. Just then the phone rang and brought them the excitement they were looking for. The woman on the phone was frantic and begged them to come and help as there were some trapped animals. They sprang into action and rushed to the scene, not really knowing what to expect. All they knew was that in their line of work, time was of the essence.

Troubling Scene

On their way to the scene, they all ran through the different procedures and protocols in their heads as they mentally prepared themselves. They didn’t know what kind of fire they might face or who might need their rescuing. All they knew was there were trapped animals but they would only be able to tell how difficult it would be once they were on site. Besides, frightened animals could be tricky to deal with. Just like people, some animals remain calm in a crisis, while others panic. A scared and panicky animal is generally also violent and dangerous. The team had no idea what kind of animal had been trapped or what kind of emergency they might face. They simply had to be ready for anything.

Getting Ready

The team started to feel tense as they reached the site. Their minds were racing, particularly thinking about what kind of animal they might be facing. Since the fire was in the city, it seemed likely that they would be saving pets, however, there was always the chance that they might be saving wild animals too. They needed to be prepared. After all, a fireman needs to be safe if they are going to be able to save anyone else. The team was experienced but knew that it would be foolish to think that it would be an easy job. They came prepared for anything. They had saved many animals from smoke inhalation, burns, and injuries before so they felt confident.

On-Site

When they arrived at the fire the team jumped into action. They reached the storm drain where the animals were apparently trapped and assessed the situation. Luckily, it hadn’t been raining so that would make the situation much simpler. If it was raining, not only would the firefighters have to deal with the torrent of water, but the animals would most likely have drowned. The space was tight, dark, and deep. The animals down there must be terrified, and worst of all, if they were young animals, the team would have to work even faster.

Bottle Neck

Because the space was so narrow, the team immediately assumed the animals must either be small or babies. The team carefully opened the grate, waiting for the animals to jump out, but none did. A mature animal would immediately have seen its chance to get out. Something was very wrong. They could hear the animal cries from deep inside and knew right away that they were babies. Scared, cold babies who had no idea how to help or save themselves. The team still didn’t know what kind of animal babies they were going to rescue, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting them out as quickly as they could.

Strange Place To Find Them

Since it was so dark and narrow, the team had no idea how the babies got themselves into such a predicament. They could hear by the cries that there were several babies down there but no matter how they tried, they just couldn’t figure out how they ended up there. Pets don’t leave babies in places like that, and wild animals rarely do either. They looked around to see if they could see any adult animals around. Seeing one, possibly even the mother, would help them to know what animal they were dealing with if nothing else.

Baby Steps

Hours had passed already but they hadn’t seen a single adult animal or mother nearby. The team was coming up with all kinds of theories as to what might have happened or where the parents might be. They didn’t even want to think about the possibility that the parents had met with some kind of accident. The team was more determined than ever to rescue the trapped babies and save them from their scary predicament. They just hoped that they would be in time and manage to rescue all of the trapped babies.

A Tough Choice

The sewer was not exactly the best place for babies. It was cold and damp and dirty. They could hear by the cries how young and frightened they were. The longer they were in such bad conditions, the less likely the babies were to survive. When the team finally reached the babies they were overjoyed to see that all of them were still alive. That didn’t change the fact that these babies needed help immediately. The team was still hoping that the mom might be nearby, perhaps just looking for some food. Would the mother be searching for the babies if they removed them? They had to decide what was best for these poor animals.

Prioritizing

The situation was comp[licated but the team was determined to make the best choice for the babies. The needed to decide quickly but before they could, they needed to get them out and figure out what kind of animal they were dealing with. Only then could they figure out how best to help them. If they were babies of a domesticated animal they would need all the help they could get. On the other hand, if they were wild animal babies, then leaving them in a natural habitat would be best. Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel and helped the babies out one by one. The instant the team saw them the team fell in love.

Welcome To The Wide World

The rest of the team waited anxiously as one of them reached into the tight space to bring the babies to safety. They put a white cloth beside the drain to place the babies on. The team also wore gloves to ensure that their natural scents weren’t disturbed, in case their mother came back for them. Everyone gasped when the first baby was brought out into the light. The tiny baby was covered in black fur, had floppy ears, and a thin little tail. Everyone immediately knew what kind of animal they were dealing with. One by one the babies were brought out and laid on the cloth. The cute little animals all huddled together.

Welcome!

The firefighters were amazed at the sight of the incredibly cute bunch of puppies that they had just rescued. While they were no strangers to rescuing dogs and puppies, they had never before needed to save them from a sewer and they still could not figure out how the puppies had ended up so deep in the sewer. Generally, a dog will snuggle into a comfortable area before giving birth and the sewer was far from somewhere comfortable. The puppies would also not have survived if it hadn’t been for the woman who had heard them and called the firefighters. The only shocking conclusion they could reach is that someone had placed them there on purpose.

Sad Start

It was wonderful to see all the puppies alive and well after the rescue, but the thought of some pet owners abandoning them there was heartbreaking. The person probably put them there because they didn’t want the puppies. There was no way someone could have done so without knowing that the puppies wouldn’t survive. The entire team hoped that this was not truly the case and they had no proof that it was. The innocent puppies were so cute that it was almost unimaginable that anyone could have been so cruel on purpose. Whatever the case, the puppies had been rescued and now needed to be taken care of. That meant that the puppies needed immediate professional attention.

Teaching Them A Lesson

The firefighters took a moment to remind everyone around that they should never abandon pets like that. There were many people and organizations that could care for and help them. Not everyone is cut out to raise an animal but there are always better solutions than dumping them in a sewer. Even so, the firefighters had no idea what had really happened and just kept praying that their dire scenario was not a reality.

Snuggling Up

The puppies immediately huddled together on the blanket as they were brought out. Apart from sharing body heat, the little puppies were cuddling each other to provide comfort. Everyone watching was touched by this display and seeing how important cuddling is even in the animal kingdom. The firefighters, however, were still perturbed by the way the puppies were found in a sewer that they decided to investigate.

Seeking Answers

In trying to find out how the puppies ended up there, the team went back to the start and questioned the woman who made the call. As she explained the events leading up to her call, the firefighters breathed a sigh of relief. The puppies hadn’t been abandoned, however, they did have quite a harrowing adventure. According to the called, the puppies had been swept down the drain after the heavy rains earlier that day. The team could only imagine how scared the puppies must have been. They were relieved to know that the puppies hadn’t been dumped.

Calling The Right People

The team was really happy someone had called them. They didn’t take the situation for granted either. In the minds of the firefighters, they weren’t the heroes that day. The person who had called them was the true hero. When the woman saw the puppies get swept down the drain, she knew that there was no way she could rescue them. She was alone and didn’t have the proper experience or equipment to help the puppies. She immediately called the right people for the job.

Pure Speculation

With the mystery solved, the firefighters were at last able to try and figure out what breed of dog the puppies were. Despite the many different breeds of dogs out there, the firefighters guessed that they must be labrador puppies based on their fur and other physical characteristics. The puppies were so cute that the team had no doubt that they would all be adopted very soon. Before they could be adopted, however, the team needed to make sure that the puppies got checked out. It was important to know that they were healthy and not sick. A sewer is not a healthy environment for any domestic pets, so the team took the puppies to a nearby vet to get them checked out.

First Check-up

The firefighters rushed to the vet to get the puppies checked because they had no idea how long the puppies had actually been in the drain. They took the puppies to the Pikes Peak Region’s Humane Society and had them checked one by one. In just a few hours the team received the happy news. All the puppies were strong and healthy, despite their ordeal. One of the firefighters, Mark Jenkins, asked to be kept up to date on everything that happened to the puppies so he left his number with the vet. He was not expecting them to call him as soon as they did, or with the news they had.

Exciting Announcement

When he answered the veterinarian’s call, Mark was a little worried that they might have found something wrong with the puppies. He was anxious that they had gotten sick or something. However, the vet assured him quickly that there’s nothing wrong with them and they were actually doing fine and the call was to tell him something that he hadn’t predicted. Mark was a little silent for a while, he looked at his teammates waiting for the updates from the dogs they have just rescued but he couldn’t say anything. He suddenly found himself laughing out loud with the phone still on his ears. Other firefighters looked at Mark weirdly but when he put the phone down and told them what was the call all about, they were also left in shock.

The Surprising Truth

From the very first time that the team of firefighters had seen the little creatures, they have already concluded that they were a bunch of puppies and they were Labradors in particular. However, the veterinarian called to break them the news they had never expected. The little creatures they have guessed as Labrador puppies were actually baby foxes! The firefighters could not believe it! The animals definitely looked like dogs. The vet explained that technically, they are still dogs they were just specifically not Labradors because they were actually red foxes in particular. The vet was not surprised that the firefighters were mistaken because the fox kits definitely looked like puppies especially when they were still infants. It was a common mistake but the firefighters could not recover from the big surprise.

What’s Best For Them

Aside from informing the firefighters that they were actually mistaken by the creatures’ identity, the vet also had to ask a little favor from them. Since the babies were actually fox kits, the veterinarian was worried that their mother must have been still in the area and in search of her babies. The vet requested the firefighters to return the kits back to the sewer where they have found them. The firefighters quickly understood the situation and took action. They knew that a mother’s care would be the best for the kits. And so, they have returned to the area, they have put them where they pulled them out, but this time, with them observing from afar.

Giving It A Try

The firefighters returned the kits to the cold drain but they made sure that the area was completely safe for them. They watched them from afar as they waited for their mother to return. They knew that distance was important so that they would not scare her away but patience was also something they needed to practice. The team was hoping that the kits’ mother would come back soon to take care of them as soon as possible. They knew that foxes have more chances of appearing at night when there were fewer people and the place was quiet and so, they have waited for her as they were hoped for a wonderful reunion of the fox’s family.

No Mom In Sight

The firefighters spent several nights out in the dark with the kits as they waited patiently for the kits’ mother. However, their patience had already run out and there’s still no sign of the mother fox. They were thinking of all the possible things that must have happened with the kits’ mother, they hoped she didn’t run into any kind of danger or worse, she had been killed. After several days of waiting, the firefighters knew they needed to take action again. Instead of waiting, they knew that the kits really needed to get used to the wild and learn to survive, but first, they needed someone to raise them. Thus, the firefighters proceeded to Plan B.

Moving On

The firefighters decided to scoop the poor kits again and make a move. They brought the kits to a place where they knew they’ll get the knowledge that they need. The kits were once again welcomed by another animal-friendly clinic, the Animal Clinic of Woodland Park. The firefighters knew that this was the safest place for them to grow as if they were really in the wild. The Animal Clinic of Woodland Park is famous for helping and rehabilitating animals in all shapes and sizes. They provide training where the animals are taught how to live in the wild in the most creative ways. The firefighters expected that these people would be a great help for the cute kits to grow the way they were supposed to be just like they normally would if they were in the wild.

Important Lesson

After everything that had happened, many would have felt that this story was a little funny, with the fact that those cute creatures weren’t really puppies but a bunch of cute kits, which left everyone surprised. But they have learned a lot from this eye-opening experience. Although the firefighters had rescued a lot of animals in the past, this one of a kind cub rescue will always remain remarkable to them. The team of Colorado Firefighters thought that they were really lucky to be introduced to wild animals through their job. Many people have very little knowledge about wild animals and their particular behaviors. The team hoped that with this story people would actually have a little more interest in knowing these creatures for their own safety and common misconceptions.

Expert Advice

For the experts, it actually wasn’t surprising to find kits in urban areas. Although it may have surprised the firefighters, they had explained that female foxes get pregnant during the cold months and give birth by the end of the long winter just like what had happened with the cute little kits. With regards to the spot where she had given birth, Colorado has been known for a large population of foxes as the location had a lot of terrains like hills and mountains where they made their little dens. And being in the city, the mother fox must have been mistaken and thought that the drain was actually like sort of a den and a safe place to give birth to her babies.

Staying Optimistic

With everybody’s help and cooperation, we could hope that these kits would actually have a bright future. Although we can conclude that these kits were abandoned by their mother, they have been saved with the help of the witness and the team of Colorado Firefighters, plus they have gotten the knowledge they need to have in the wild with their rehabilitation in the Animal Clinic of Woodland Park. In the end, though this story had started in an unfortunate accident, it all turned out well with the help of the right people. With this, firefighters could only wish that some people have picked up some knowledge and values in this story.

Moral Of The Story

This story was aimed at making people realize that with the fast suburban growth, people would not blame the wild animals for visiting the city sometimes. Just like any other living creature, they also wanted to have a place that they can call home. As a human that has the capacity to understand these things, it would only be fair for us to not judge and treat these animals as pests when we encounter them. If you happened to experience this, it would be really nice if you would call the experts right away. Accidents, on the other hand, are definitely inevitable, it is always unnecessary to make a move at the scene all by yourself especially if you don’t know you can’t do it all alone. You can help and save lives by calling the authorities that sure know what to do with the situation. Firefighters hope that all of us would someday felt that kind of social responsibility, valuing every living creature all around us.