NODDING DOG IN DISTRESS
Conkers, turnips, plastic bags, patio chairs and plastic toys are among the objects people mistook for animals in distress this year, the RSPCA has said.
Every 24 seconds, a member of the public calls the organisation to report possible animal cruelty or suffering.
While most of the 1,279,953 calls this year did result in rescues or investigations, some turned out to be either hoaxes or cases of mistaken identity.
The organisation has issued a plea for the public to make sure their concerns are valid before telephoning in. Some of this year's cases of mistaken identity include:
:: On a hot summer's day a caller rang in to say there was a dog in a car, shaking its head, looking distressed. The controller asked for the registration plate of the car. The caller went to get a closer look, then apologised and said it was "one of those nodding Churchill dogs".
:: An elderly lady called to report an abandoned baby hedgehog that she was looking after. When the animal collection officer arrived to pick up the animal, he found it was in fact a conker.
:: A concerned member of the public reported an exotic animal stuck up a tree, in distress and very active. The caller feared it was going to jump and fall to its death. But on arrival, the animal collection officer discovered it was a carrier bag flapping in the wind.
:: Another caller said they had seen an injured swan tumbling down a river. The bedraggled bird turned out to be a patio chair.
:: A caller phoned in to report an owl involved in a road traffic accident. They said it was very bloody and didn't want to get too close. An animal collection officer was dispatched to deal with the incident. He discovered it was actually a squashed turnip.
:: A lady called to report a rat trapped behind a chest of drawers. When the inspector arrived it turned out to be a pair of knickers.
An RSPCA spokesman said: "We would like to ask the public to make certain when calling that their concerns are valid."
