The animal kingdom needs a helping hand once in a while.
When animals were in need of rescuing in 2020, these people stepped up to help.
A wild horse was at risk of starving to death after getting stuck in a muddy pond, but rescuers weren't going to let that happen. The 45-minute-long effort to free her was led by the Help Alberta Wildies Society, which advocates to protect free roaming bands of wild horses. Some members out on patrol spotted the horse and they say she had been stuck for about 5 hours. The team effort involved ropes, winches and even a golf cart, but it all worked to free the horse. Once back on her feet, the hungry horse didn't stick around long to celebrate her freedom with her rescuers.
Another horse would not get out out of his stable, which was going up in flames. Officer Matthew Reiss came upon the scene in Hilltown Township, Pennsylvania and was alerted there was a horse that refused to budge from the burning barn. Another officer helped, but it wasn’t enough. They needed every hand on deck. Eventually the horse got the message that it was time to go, and it took off running.
It was a rescue reversal as a team of humans had to save a St. Bernard dog from a mountain top. Daisy was on a hike with her owners on the tallest mountain in England when she started showing signs of distress. Her owners called for help and a group of volunteer rescuers stepped up. The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team trekked all the way to the summit -- 3200 feet above sea level -- to get Daisy down. They brought a stretcher and strapped her in, then they began their descent carrying the 120-pound dog all the way down the mountain. It was a long walk through uneven terrain, but Daisy was a good girl through the whole journey.
One couple couldn’t just sail by without helping a dog stranded in open water. Rebecca Champ and her husband Quentin were on their boat in Houston, Texas when they spotted the pup. But they couldn’t seem to get close enough with their boat. They motored up to it, and it started swimming away. So they had to retrieve him from the water.
He was able to get the dog safely on the boat. They took him home and posted their story to Facebook, which helped them find him a loving home.
A little bear was in a similar situation, swimming around a Wisconsin lake with a plastic jug on its head. Lucky for him, a kind couple spotted him and offered their help. They had to tread lightly because they thought the frightened bear might attack, but they persisted and helped free the cub.
Firefighters in Australia were called to help a kitten that got stuck in the walls of its house. The animal’s human family said they could hear the cat, but couldn’t find it and when they realized it could be stuck in a wall, they called in the professionals. Firefighters were careful not to harm the cat while cutting the wall.
A cat stranded on the bank of London’s River Thames wasn’t happy to see coastguards who showed up to help. A rescuer was brave enough to try and trap the animal, but his grip wasn’t good enough. The cat fought back and escaped back into the river, but soon found itself in deep water. Another determined rescuer made another attempt to save the cat and was successful. Once they got the cat onto a nearby dock, it was eager to take its leave.
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