A ‘beheaded swan’ that turned out to be a plastic toy and a ‘dead dog’ on a roof that was really a cuddly toy are among the RSPCA’s most entertaining call-outs.
The charity gets a number of calls every day and has revealed some of the most bizarre requests for help they have received.
While animal welfare officers experience many distressing scenes, it was nothing but laughs when they responded to a call from people in Grantham, Lincolnshire, concerned about a bright red scorpion on a pavement.
RSPCA animal collection officer Paula Jones arrived to the cordoned area to find the distressed public surrounding a rubber toy.
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She said: ‘Cecil the scorpion is now my van buddy and keeps me company on the road.’
A woman in Warrington, Cheshire, was terrified by the sight of a headless swan and called RSPCA to report it, who quickly realised it was just a decorative plastic bird.
Inspector Claire Fisher said: ‘We all had a laugh about this one and, to be honest, were just relieved there wasn’t a swan that had suffered an awful death.’
Another distressed caller reported what he thought was a dead dog on a flat roof of the Elim Pentecostal Church on Dalton Road in Port Talbot.
Inspector Nigel Duguid was relieved to find out it was only a toy.
He said: ‘We get calls to all sorts of things – all animals of all shapes and sizes and species – but in my 37 years as an RSPCA inspector I have never been called to rescue a cuddly toy before’.
Another swan incident was also worrying for the RSPCA officers, when a number of people reported an injured swan in Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire.
The bird was supposedly not moving and did not look afraid of people or traffic.
The officer that attended the had trouble locating the swan – until she realised the reports were about a group of five decorative wooden swans that had been put up for Christmas.
On another occasion residents in Stoke Newington, London, reported a skinned cat being dumped in a garden, where the RSPCS officers ran to check and even found the ‘body’ covered with a towel.
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Luckily, the ‘cat’ was eventually nothing more than a fur hat.
RSPCA inspector Kate Ford said: ‘I was very relieved it wasn’t the dark case I was expecting to turn up to.’
A concerned woman reported a distressed lizard in Hackney, London which turned out to be a dog’s elephant-shaped chew toy.
Other occasions included a kite put up to scare birds which was mistaken for an actual bird, a worried cat owner who mistook a happy squirrel for her missing pet, and a grey heart-shaped cushion was mistakenly reported as an injured owl.
Assistant director of the RSPCA Inspectorate Dermot Murphy said: ‘Every day is different at the RSPCA and our officers are used to responding to heartbreaking calls, taking on hair-raising rescues and, from time-to-time, dealing with laugh-out-loud situations.
‘From stuffed toys to decorative models, our officers have helped them all.
‘While we all enjoy a giggle at this time of year, there is a serious message here too.
‘Every year we’re under more and more pressure to help animals who desperately need us.
‘Everyone who called us had genuine concerns that there was an animal in distress and we rely on public to be our eyes an ears and let us know when they fear an animal is suffering.
‘Perhaps these calls are just a reminder to maybe take a closer look before picking up the phone.
‘However, thankfully these mishaps are few and far between and we would like to thank everyone who takes the time to report suffering to us and helps us make the world a kinder place for animals.’
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