Hi, I’m Herchy Boal. I’ve been an RSPCA Inspector in the West Midlands for 20 years and am mum to rescue dogs Murphy, six, and 18-month-old Loki. I’m passionate about animal welfare and my job. Here are some of the rescue missions my teammates and I have completed recently...
Doggy dilemma
Inquisitive eight-week-old cockapoo, Pudding, was exploring underneath the sofa when his owner – who didn’t know the pup was there – started reclining the settee. The poor pooch’s fur became entwined in the mechanism and he was trapped.
Luckily rescuers were able to remove the electrics – and Pudding. Once free, the unscathed puppy showed his appreciation by giving our team some slobbery kisses, before curling up and falling fast asleep.
Neigh-bourhood watch
This stallion tried to jump a fence to reach an adjoining field. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very successful. A walker found him like this - with the front of his body on one side of the gate and his back legs on the other. My colleague Jack was called to the paddock and managed to track down the pony’s owner. Together, they helped him over the gate and back into his own field.
Cubby-hole
This fox cub got more than he bargained for when he popped his head into a watering can for a quick drink. When our inspector, Lynn, got to him, the critter was exhausted from trying to remove himself from it. Initially unsure how to free the fox, Lynn remembered the tub of Vaseline in her van. After rubbing that into his neck, the cub slid right out. He was bedraggled but feisty and after a quick check-up was released back into the undergrowth.
You’re kid-ding me
Passengers waiting at a bus stop were stunned when they were joined in the queue by this four-legged traveller. The lost billy goat waited patiently until RSPCA officer Emily arrived on the scene. Unable to determine where he had come from, Emily noticed the dishevelled goat’s hooves were very overgrown. So, she took the bold billy to a nearby paddock for some TLC - and an emergency pedicure!
Gridlock
I’ve heard of toad in the hole - but never frog in the drain! But that’s what my colleague Leanne contended with recently, after a woman found a little leaper stuck in a grate. When Leanne arrived, the amphibian’s whole body was wedged in tight. She couldn’t wriggle him out and didn’t want to hurt him, so took the confined croaker to the local fire station. Thankfully, they were able to cut him free. Hoppily, he’s now back in the pond with his froggy friends.
The RSPCA receives over one million emergency calls, rescues around 100,000 animals and investigates 150,000 complaints of cruelty every year. To report cruelty or an animal in need, call 0300 1234 999. To help the RSPCA continue its vital work donate at rspca.org.uk/give