April 16 (UPI) — Massachusetts police and a helpful passerby came to the rescue of a raccoon spotted stuck with only its head emerging from a hole in a storm drain grate.
Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan said officers were flagged down Monday by local resident Fernando Rivera Jr., who had spotted a raccoon stuck in a storm drain grate in Heritage Park.
“Officers removed the storm drain cover, but the raccoon was still stuck inside,” the department said on social media.
Rivera stepped in to help and broke open a pair of laundry detergent pods to use as lubricant for the raccoon’s head.
“After about 20 minutes officers were able to free the raccoon,” the post said. “Animal control came and retrieved the raccoon.”
Police and a passerby came to the rescue of a raccoon with its head stuck inside a storm drain grate. Photo courtesy of Holyoke Police Department/Facebook
The post thanked Rivera “for getting the animal in distress the help that it needed.”