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Here’s hoping for a better 2019 for these clumsy creatures.
Workers for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England and Wales rescued each of these 20 animals from surprising situations in 2018, including two horny hedgehogs who got trapped in a cattle grid and a cute kitten who let curiosity get the better of it while exploring a kitchen unit.
Check out the full list below:
1
Dog In A Wooden TV Cabinet
RSPCA
Verity O’Neill's 8-week-old Yorkshire terrier puppy, Ringo Starr, got his head stuck inside a wooden television cabinet at her Birkenhead home in March. RSPCA officers eased him out with cooking oil.
2
Hamster In A Pipe
RSPCA
This hamster called Jamie got wedged inside a tiny pipe for almost a week after escaping his cage in Bridgwater in southwest England. Animal welfare officer Alison Sparkes made a tiny ladder specifically for his rescue. “We knew he was OK as they’d been dropping food down and could hear him eating so I went home and cut a 1-meter-long ladder from some old wire mesh, then went back, fitted it in the pipe and that evening he emerged," she said. "Very thirsty, but OK."
3
Squirrel In A Toilet
RSPCA
Students in London discovered this intruder in their toilet bowl in May. The squirrel clambered out after gripping onto a mop handle held by animal welfare officer Kirstie Gillard. "I think he must have come into this house through the roof and slipped into the toilet," she said. "It was certainly one of the most unusual rescues I’ve ever carried out. I’m sure it’s one the squirrel ‘walnut’ forget in a hurry!"
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4
Bulldog Between A Wall And A Fence
RSPCA
Welsh bulldog Roxy got stuck between a wall and a fence in Wales in November.
5
Fox In A Car Wheel
RSPCA
RSPCA inspectors used vegetable oil to free this fox cub from an abandoned car wheel in London in June.
6
Snake In A Dishwasher
RSPCA
This snake somehow ended up inside a dishwasher in Sheffield in northern England in May.
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7
Cat Inside A Reclining Couch
RSPCA
This stray cat wedged itself inside a family's electric reclining couch in Bristol, southwest England, in January. "The tail was obviously resting on the mechanism and, as the spindle started rotating, the fur became trapped," said RSPCA inspector Simon Coombs. "The homeowner had the right tools and set about dismantling the sofa while I helped keep hold of the cat and keep her calm."
8
Fox In Wooden Paneling
RSPCA
This fox was freed after getting its head stuck in wooden trellis paneling at a home in Essex in March.
9
Muntjac Deer Between 2 Walls
RSPCA
A young muntjac deer became trapped upside-down between two walls in Bedworth, Warwickshire, in March. "It was such a narrow space, he couldn’t move an inch," said animal collection officer Adam McConkey, who used a grasper to release the animal.
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10
Cat Between 2 Electric Doors
RSPCA
This cat ended up stuck between two electric doors at a hotel in Luton in March. "He was soaking wet and freezing cold and had been trying to find somewhere warm and dry to curl up -- unfortunately, he chose a rather hazardous spot," said animal collection officer Kate Wright. She pulled the puss free.
11
Goat In Metal Fence
RSPCA
A goat got her head stuck between the bars of a metal fence in Norton, northeast England, in May. Animal collection officer Emily Welch said she dug out the dirt underneath the fence to make enough space so the animal could escape.
12
Badger Between Branches
RSPCA
This badger only wanted to eat some fruit, but ended up getting wedged between branches in London in August.
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13
Horny Hedgehogs In A Cattle Grid
RSPCA
RSPCA officials said these two hedgehogs fell into a cattle grid while mating in Warwickshire in May. Fire crews were called to bend the bars so that animal welfare officers could extract the animals.
14
Cat Impaled On Metal Railings
RSPCA
Skittles the ginger cat fell and was impaled on metal railings in London in March. London Fire Brigade crews cut the railings and transported the animal to a nearby veterinarian for treatment. He survived and is now living back home with his owners.
15
Badger In The Trash
RSPCA
A badger was discovered in a Somerset couple's trash can in September. It was freed and later released.
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16
Fox In A Car's Grille
RSPCA
This fox incredibly suffered no serious injuries after spending 12 hours trapped inside a car's front grille in Hertfordshire in September.
17
Scorpion In A Hotel
RSPCA
This was less of a rescue and more of a capture that occurred after a scorpion was spotted scuttling around a hotel in Birmingham in September.
18
Kitten In A Kitchen Unit
RSPCA
Spock the 15-week-old kitten got his head stuck in a kitchen unit and was rescued by fire crews.
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19
Snake In An Oven
RSPCA
A snake twice surprised an elderly couple in Stockport after they found it inside their oven. It vanished after the first sighting, but then reappeared two days later. "It must have squeezed through a wall cavity of this couple’s home and there is a hole at the back of the oven where the gas jets come up so was probably attracted by the warmth," said RSPCA inspector Andy Harris. "It was lucky the couple didn’t pre-heat the oven first.”
20
Cat In An Air Vent
RSPCA
This curious cat became wedged inside an air vent at her home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, in December. RSPCA animal collection officer Glenn Baird used butter to free her. “I put butter inside the pipe using a lolly stick, removed the vent cover with my hammer and pushed her. Luckily, she slid right out," he said.
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