Animal rescues can be both challenging and emotionally intense, especially when young creatures end up in tight or hazardous spaces. From trees to thorny shrubs, and even drains, these situations often demand calm, skilled hands—and that’s where firefighters come in.
In one such case from 2018, a routine emergency call took a surprising turn in Colorado Springs.
Fire captain Brian Vaughan and his crew were dispatched after a report came in about a litter of what appeared to be abandoned black Labrador puppies trapped inside a storm drain. The situation called for urgency, and within 20 minutes of arriving on the scene, the firefighters had safely retrieved eight tiny animals from the narrow pipe.
The presumed puppies seemed unharmed and were promptly taken to the Humane Rescue Organization of the Pikes Peak Region. But once they arrived, a staff veterinarian made an unexpected discovery: these weren’t Labrador puppies at all—they were red fox kits.
“They’re not labs,” Vaughan recalled being told by the vet. “They’re actually foxes.”
The revelation wasn’t entirely shocking to local wildlife officials. Foxes are a common sight in areas near the Rocky Mountains, and springtime is when many wild animals are giving birth and sheltering their young in secluded dens—including manmade structures like pipes.
Travis Sauder, a district manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, explained that it’s not unusual for people to come across young animals this time of year during outdoor activities.
“These young ones are often in hidden places that humans stumble upon,” Sauder said in an interview with CBS4.
Plans were made to return the kits to the location where they were found, in hopes that their mother would return and resume care. If she doesn’t, the young foxes will be taken to a licensed rehabilitation facility.
Sauder emphasized the importance of involving experts when dealing with unknown animals. Mistaking a wild animal for a pet is a common error, and well-meaning interventions can sometimes do more harm than good.
Fortunately, this story ended without harm, and with a valuable reminder: in nature, not everything is as it seems.
