HOUSTON – Many people treat their pets like children, but a woman is in legal trouble after calling 911 and claiming that her baby was stuck in the sewer.
The woman, who was not immediately identified, called the fire department three times saying that her cat was stuck in the sewer, according to police. On the fourth call, the woman said her 2-year-old baby was stuck in the sewer. The cat’s name is Baby.
The firefighters arrived expecting to find a child, but rescued the feline from the sewer anyway. Police cited the woman for making a false report, a misdemeanor.
“They said they were desperate, didn’t know what else to do,” Houston Fire Department Capt. Keith Ellery told Houston television station KPRC.
Members of the woman’s family said they tried to rescue the cat themselves before calling for help.
Squirrel rescue try earns a suspension
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – A woman says she was suspended from her job for a week for spending too much time trying to rescue a squirrel trapped in the library where she works.
Cindee Goetz said she contacted a friend who owns an animal- removal business about the squirrel after a company hired by the library tried using a trap to kill it.
“It’s a real pickle to be in, all over me being compassionate toward animals,” Goetz said. “They said I went around the chain of command. I was paying more attention to the animal than I was my job.”
Judy Hamilton, the library’s executive director, said the suspension followed other animal problems with Goetz. The library was concerned about the safety of patrons and the possible cost of damage by the squirrel, Hamilton said.
“I don’t want that squirrel to die either, but I can’t allow a live animal to be headquartered in that building,” Hamilton said. “It’s a severe situation I can’t ignore. I’m not running a squirrel condominium here.”
Goetz, who owns an animal shelter, said she planned to return to her job after the one-week suspension.
Neighbors don’t want any deer left hanging
GROVELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Some residents are complaining about a neighbor’s wrought-iron fence, which they say has impaled at least a dozen deer during the past five years.
Richard Matheny’s 4-foot fence has arrow-shaped tips. Most deer easily clear the fence, but some lose their footing or misjudge the height and are caught and die.
Matheny said he has tied reflective tape to the fence to scare the deer away. He said he has contacted fencing contractors several times, but the possible solutions are either too expensive or might not solve the problem.
“I’m waiting for a solution that actually works,” he said. “If I fix it, and tomorrow if there’s another deer hanging out there, you’ve wasted a lot of money and haven’t accomplished anything.”
Matheny said he would rather not have the fence at all, but needs it to keep hunters from trespassing on his property.
From Herald news services
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