Some cool animal control images:
Dead raccoon removed from between houses
Image by MarkPritchard
Cris called me at work about 3:30. "There's a raccoon stuck between our house and the one next door," she said. "I've called Animal Control."
When I got home about 5:30 there were two amiable Animal Control officers. They couldn't remove the critter, which had fallen into a six-inch-wide gap between the houses. (This is San Francisco.) They called the fire department, which sent a hook-and-ladder truck and six firefighters, all of whom would rather have been watching the beginning of Game 1 of the World Series, which was taking place about three miles north.
They couldn't get it out either.
The animal control guys called for a vet, who came with, yes, a tranquilizer dart. But even when the critter was tranquilized, it was wedged in so tightly about 8 feet above the ground that they couldn't get it out using poles, ropes, hooks, etc.
Finally they brought in an electric saw and cut holes in the wall of our basement, and after more than two hours of trying, the raccoon was removed. The vet was the one who finally got it out of there. She pronounced it DOA. It had probably suffocated.
Never a dull moment around here.
No, you're not seeing things
Image by grid.epsilon
A couple of days ago, I received an email with the above subject line, and the following description:
"Yes, there is a turkey outside the building.
Yes, Animal Control has been called. However, Louisville Animal Control doesn’t mess with anything other than ‘standard’ pets. So, unless it’s attacking us, they won’t do anything.
So, since the police know about the turkey, my hope is that someone will call looking for their lost turkey, and the police will point them our way, or the poor bird will accidently find it’s way home.
The turkey, while being a domesticated breed, isn’t too keen on getting close to people. Even people with food. So leave it alone if possible.
The bird looks clean and healthy, so there shouldn’t be any problems on that end.
I guess that’s it. Time to return to your less surreal work day, already in progress."
As you can see, it wasn't a joke.
