RSPCA reveals top rescues of 2021 in the North
Several rescues in North Yorkshire feature in the list.
The RSPCA is revealing the animals it’s rescued from the strangest and most surprising situations this year.
In 2021, 281,390 incidents were reported to the charity’s frontline teams via its emergency hotline - 71,638 in the North - including helping lots of animals who got themselves into rather a-moo-sing situations. Luckily, they all had happy endings.
‘Owl did you get in there?’
The RSPCA came to the rescue of a tawny owl who fell into the extraction fan in a disused hotel in York. Rescuer Leanne Honess-Heather was called to the vacant hotel on 18 January after the owner heard noises coming from the extraction fan. The owl was covered in thick grease and, after trying to push herself free, got wedged between the blades of the fan. “Thankfully, the cover was easily removed and we were able to free her. She had no major injuries but she was dehydrated and covered in thick grease so needed a bath.” She was taken for a bath and treatment at a nearby wildlife centre.
Bunny gets bum deal!
A wild rabbit needed a helping hand after getting stuck trying to push under a gate. Animal rescue officer Shane Lynn went to a home in Northallerton on 21st February after the bunny was found trapped underneath a wooden fence. He said: “We were contacted by a member of the public who spotted the rabbit’s bum poking out from under the fence. She’d tried to push under the fence but got stuck fast and was struggling to breathe. Luckily I was able to dig away the gravel and earth to create a larger gap and gently pull her free. I checked her over and she wasn’t injured so I released her into a safe area of undergrowth.”
Hoppy ending
A bunny who escaped from her hutch while travelling to her new home got stuck inside the van dashboard. She was on her way home to Selby on 7th June with new owner Mark Hyde when he had to brake suddenly and her hutch door flew open. She ran to the front of the automatic van and pushed through a hole where the clutch normally is and Mark called the RSPCA to help find her. Rescuer Claire Mitchell dashed to the scene but was unable to reach her so she left food on the floor in the hope it would entice her down during the night. When she hadn’t appeared the following morning rescuer Leanne Honess-Heather was sent to the scene and called for the help of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Leanne said: “There was no way to get hold of this rabbit because of the tight space she was in and she was so high up. I think I would have had more of a chance pulling a rabbit out of a magician’s hat!” The fire officers took the dashboard off and we managed to catch her, much to Mark’s relief. He said: “I just couldn’t believe how she managed to get up there - but am so happy that she was unscathed from her ordeal. She is now safely in her hutch with her friend where she can stay out of trouble.” He named his new pets after their rescuers: Claire-Leanne and her friend, Grant.
*Figures relate to number of incidents reported to RSPCA emergency hotline (1 January - 30 November 2021)
**North includes:
● Cheshire - 4,771
● Cumbria - 2,030
● Durham - 4,784
● East Yorkshire - 2,868
● Greater Manchester - 13,043
● Lancashire - 7,712
● Merseyside - 6,878
● Northumberland - 1,262
● North Yorkshire - 4,980
● South Yorkshire - 7,167
● Tyne & Wear - 5,497