Fireman saves 8 Labrador puppies from storm drain: Suddenly realises they’re actually not dogs


The animal in question might occasionally become uncomfortably trapped. In the worst scenarios, infant animals have managed to elude their moms and wound up in incredibly small areas, oftentimes a tree or a thorny shrub.

People who are persistent, exact, and careful are required in these uncomfortable circumstances. Perhaps this explains why firefighters frequently succeed in freeing trapped animals.

When fire captain Brian Vaughan last week received an alert call, he saw the importance right away.

Eight pups of a small black dog had been discovered trapped in a gutter. The caller thought that a litter of black Labrador puppies had been dumped in the pipe by their parents.

The animals were all successfully removed from the drain 20 minutes after the fire department arrived. They were taken to the Humane Rescue Organization in the Pikes Peak Area when they appeared to be unhurt.

People didn’t realize they hadn’t actually saved any puppy dogs until that point. The black puppies had actually changed into a bundle 

“One of the vets at the place said: ‘No, these are not labradors, they’re foxes,’” Vaughan explained.

Foxes are extremely common in the areas surrounding the Rocky Mountains, which is exactly where this litter was found.

Travis Sauder, Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Manager, told CBS4 that he’s not surprised that the call was placed to the firemen. Nor that the foxes were found in the first place.

“This time of year there are a lot of animals that are starting to have their young, and they have them in small dens that are places that we can encounter when we’re recreating in the outdoors like we like to do,” Sauder said.

According to Sauder, the foxes will be taken back to the pipe, in the hope that their mother will return to take care of them.

“These animals are going to be put back where we found them hoping that the mother is still in the area and can pick up the normal duties like she would. If the mom’s not around anymore we can take them to a licensed re-hab,” Sauder said.

Such misunderstandings concerning wildlife are frequent, thus it is always preferable to call a professional to identify the animal in question rather than attempting to act on your own. Unfortunately, in situations like this, good intentions can occasionally make matters worse for wild creatures.

Hopefully these fox cubs will be reunited with their mother before too long. Like and SHARE if you love animals of all kinds!