Lincolnshire deer rescue recognised as the best in the Midlands this year

The recovery of a deer who was wedged upside down in a gap between two houses in Louth has topped the list of best rescues in the midlands for the RSPCA.

The charity has been there for animals of all shapes and sizes, in all sorts of peculiar situations, 365 days a year.

Whether it’s a cat stuck in a gutter, or a magpie caught on a glue trap; the RSPCA’s team of expert rescuers are on hand to help whenever they can.

RSPCA Chief Inspectorate Officer Steve Bennett said:

“For 200 years the RSPCA’s dedicated and passionate team of rescuers have been helping animals in need.

“We’re here for every kind; but with almost 1 million calls for help every year, we can’t do this alone.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all of the animal-loving members of the public who have helped rescue animals themselves, taken them to vets for specialist care, as well as the other agencies who help save the lives of animals in need, from the fire service to the police to small local rescues!

“We will always use our specialist skills to help animals when we can and we’re grateful to other agencies for working with us to help animals in need.

“But there are also lots of ways the public can help animals themselves too; after all, the quicker an animal gets help, the better.

“If we all work together, we can create a kinder and better world for all animals.”

For more advice about how to help an animal yourself or how to report to the RSPCA, visit our website: www.rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern.

Here's the RSPCA's top 3 most humorous and heartwarming tails from across the Midlands in 2024:

The RSPCA and fire service helped rescue a deer who was wedged upside down in a tiny gap between two houses in Louth, Lincolnshire.

Rescuers used ropes and poles to slowly pull the muntjac through the gap, between two walls, to safety, on 25 January.

Animal Rescue Officer Karen Nix said: “This was a tricky rescue because the deer was trapped so tightly and, to complicate matters, was also upside down - it must have been terrifying for him. Thankfully, he was freed and it was such a relief to watch him run free into the undergrowth.”

A Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue attended an incident with the RSPCA on 25 January, just before 10am. Our crew from Louth attended along with our animal rescue specialists from Lincoln North. The crews used a short extension ladder, lines, hook and animal rescue equipment to release the muntjac deer.”

Rescuers from the RSPCA and fire service went to the aid of a cat who got trapped in a gutter 7m (23ft) high and couldn’t get down.

Inspector Helen Smith and Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service went to Leicester, Leicestershire, on 18 March after locals called when the cat couldn’t get himself down after a day.

Helen said: “He’d already spent one night up there and he couldn’t spend another night up so high without a way down. Firefighters were thankfully able to use their ladders to climb up and reach the cat. He was hungry and thirsty so I gave him food and water, and we let him go so he could find his way home.”

In most cases, cats can get themselves down from trees or roofs so the RSPCA doesn’t routinely attend these calls, but sometimes our specialist skills may be needed to help a stricken animal.

Four fox cubs were lucky to avoid serious injury after falling into deep concrete pits at a construction site in Cannock, Staffordshire.

The first cub was rescued on 29 April, followed by another one the following day and a further two on 1 May. On each occasion, workers called the RSPCA after finding the cubs at the bottom of the double-decker sized 6m-deep (19.6ft) pits, covered in oil.

All of them were rescued by the charity and, despite the steep drop, had escaped serious injury. They are believed to be from the same litter, although their mum is sadly thought to have died. They were taken to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire for care.

Animal Rescue Officer Sophie Taylor, who was called to the site on 29 and 30 April, and used a ladder to climb down and rescue two of the cubs - both females - said: “It was a steep descent and I was amazed, but relieved to find they hadn’t broken any bones. The pits were huge and they were difficult to spot at first, but they were well and truly stranded down there, there was absolutely no way out for them.”

To find out more about the RSPCA visit their website here.