Hello up there? Raccoon rescued after head stuck in sewer grate

Big or small, the Newton Fire Department saves them all.

And that includes a young raccoon spotted in the Massachusetts town Thursday morning trapped in a storm drain. The poor little critter somehow got its head wedged into the grate and clearly couldn’t get out.

John Moore was on his bike riding by when he spotted the helpless animal.

“Quite the morning adventure saving this little lady,” he posted on Instagram. “Happened to ride by what I originally thought was roadkill, but when it didn’t quite right, discovered this juvenile raccoon had landed herself in a bit of a predicament.”

Front line responders, animal control and a veterinarian went to work.

They used Dawn dish soap — yes, the one from the oil-covered waterfowl commercials — to loosen the animal’s head.

It was no easy feat.

All this raccoon needed was a little help from her friends. Newton Fire Department/Twitter

Eventually, they popped out the sewer grate to get some added leverage.

It took two hours to set her free.

Moore documented the whole thing.

Because he also loves trash pandas.

The fire department is taking the praise in stride.

“Always willing to help our 4 legged friends!,” the department wrote. “It was quite the operation.”

And it’s taking the rescue in stride.


Photos Newton Fire Department/Twitter

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Recovering newspaper reporter.

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