Another fox rescue.

I got a call from Dee Dee at Billerica Animal Control yesterday about yet another fox in a predicament! This time the poor thing managed to get it's head stuck in the hole of a sewer grate. Don't ask me how it managed that...the holes in the grate were no more than 3x3 in one of those big square grates in the road that are about 40lbs. or so! Lucky for the fox, a man walking his dog noticed the little head sticking out of the ground. So, foxy here probably chased something into the drainage system somewhere where there was an opening, then managed to get a little lost and was trying to get out.

The poor thing was freaked out and there was no way an extrication was going to happen unless it was sedated. So they loaded  the fox (grate and all) into the ACO van and I met them at McGrath Animal Hospital where they were ready to assist!

Once it was finally sedated enough, I have to say I figured there was NO WAY we were going to be able to get that head outta there without some major extrication equipment from the fire department or somewhere. But we started manipulating the head a little from one side and the body from the other and it just popped out of there! Holy crap I couldn't believe it! Just that suddenly it was over. Never even had to try soaping it up.

Andrea popped it the butt with a reversal for the sedative and into a crate it went to wake up. Wish they could all be that easy!

I brought it home to give it a little time to relax and recover in peace and quiet for about an hour. Then I met Maureen from animal control back at the site the fox had been found for the big release!

Our VERY beautiful, healthy little fox was more than ready to be done with us.....

....and wasted no time high tailing it into the woods from whence it came! Insert warm fuzzy feeling here! :)

No pictures of the actual entrapment and extrication.....the poor thing was way too stressed to even consider it, but I'm sure you get the idea without them!