Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/fox-paw-in-tree-rescue/

A man with Sanders Wildlife helped save a fox who was in quite a sticky predicament.

The rescue received a call for help on Valentine’s Day from a homeowner in Roswell, Georgia. Despite it being a holiday, animal rescue work never stops and the man quickly went down to the homeowner’s yard and discovered a wild red fox with its paw tightly wedged in a Y-shaped tree.

Sanders Wildlife shared on Facebook that the fox likely became stuck while using the tree as a scratching post.

In a video shared on YouTube and social media, you can see the man working hard to pry the tree open to free the fox’s paw, but it was a tough job. The rescue explained on YouTube that the “tree was very strong and hard to open up.”

The man gently spoke with the fox throughout the rescue and it almost seemed as if the fox recognized he was there to help.

The rescue added that they weren’t able to check on the fox after it was freed but hoped it survived. On YouTube, the rescue shared, “Unfortunately this Fox most likely will loose its paw that was caught. The good news is a 3 footed fox can still live an effective life. Directly after releasing, the #Fox jumped 5 feet up a retaining wall.”

They added that per local law, “rabies vector species can’t be taken in to rehab or relocated.” While there was a chance th fox would survive on its own in the wild with three legs, it would be euthanized immediately if transported to a rehabilitation center or vet’s office.

While a tough decision to make given the pain the animal was likely in, the rescue made the best decision under the given circumstances and laws.

You can see the rescue for yourself in the video below:

You can keep up with Sanders Wildlife on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog