When a concerned citizen noticed a litter of what seemed to be puppies trapped in a storm drain, he did the only thing he could think of: call the fire department. The Colorado Springs Fire Department crew quickly arrived on the scene, ready to rescue the helpless animals. Little did they know, they were in for a surprising twist.
Within minutes, the firefighters had successfully rescued what they believed were eight black Labrador Retriever puppies. They scanned the area for the mother, worried that these newborns had been abandoned. With no mother in sight, they took the tiny creatures to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for further care.
It was there that the truth was revealed—these were not puppies at all. To the firefighters’ astonishment, the vet at the shelter identified them as baby red foxes! The small animals, covered in dark red fur, had been mistaken for Labrador puppies due to their size and color. Fire Captain Brian Vaughan later recounted the shock of his crew when they learned the true identity of the animals, saying, “The firefighter was just in shock.”
The vet explained that foxes are common in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where the fox kits had been found. Though the firefighters were initially stunned, this turn of events made perfect sense given the location.
Once they realized the animals were baby foxes, the officials decided to return them to the storm drain, hoping the mother fox would come back for her young. Unfortunately, she never returned, leaving the kits in need of care.
The baby foxes were then taken to The Animal Clinic of Woodland Park in Colorado, where they began their journey to rehabilitation. Terri, a dedicated rehabber at the clinic, took on the round-the-clock responsibility of feeding and caring for the young foxes, ensuring they had the best chance of survival. The clinic shared on Facebook that although it was an exhausting task, the foxes were doing well.
After some time and plenty of care, the fox kits grew strong and were eventually released back into the wild, where they could live as nature intended. The story of their rescue serves as a heartwarming reminder of the dedication of first responders and animal caregivers, who go above and beyond to protect all creatures, great and small.
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