Rescuers Realize ‘Dog’ They Saved Was Something Else (Photos)

Rescuers in London got a huge surprise when they discovered that what they thought was a dog they saved was actually a baby fox.

The 4-month-old fox cub was saved from a building site in London, where the animal was seen in a deep mud hole. The fox was covered in a thick layer of mud, completely unable to escape on its own.

Rescuers believed at first that they found a dog, but once the animal was clean, they realized it was a fox. 

The baby fox was given food, water and a long bath at a hospital in Essex and nursed back to health.

“It would certainly have had a pretty awful death if it hadn’t been found, it was very cold and in shock but is fine now,” Su Schwar, who runs the hospital, said.

“We felt very sorry for him because he was completely caked and was absolutely petrified. The builders were doing some ground work on the site and there were a couple of holes left open. None of us knew how long he had been down that hole — it could have been all weekend.”

Readers praised the rescuers’ efforts to save the young fox.

“So sad but with such a happy ending,” one Newsiosity reader wrote on the site’s Facebook page.

“That’s awesome The little guy has a chance now.Great job people,” another added.

Sources: Daily Mail, Newsiosity/Facebook / Photo credit: South Essex Hospital via Daily Mail