Maeve Dunigan

1 week ago | thedodo.com | Maeve Dunigan

Alone on the streets of New Jersey, a lonely pup named Fiddler recently found himself in need of a helping hand. Perhaps hoping someone might see him, Fiddler scrambled onto the roof of a suburban home. High above the street, he paced along the roof’s shingles, waiting for the right person to walk by. Eventually, someone saw Fiddler and posted a photo to Facebook. When rescuers from Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge saw the post, they headed to the scene and coaxed the pup down from the rooftop.

1 week ago | thedodo.com | Maeve Dunigan

This past April, staff members at Little Creek Navy Base in Norfolk, Virginia, noticed an unusual pair of visitors huddled outside one of the administration buildings. The furry guests were a pair of baby otter siblings, only about 5 to 6 weeks old. At first, staff members left the otters alone, hopeful that their mother might return for them. But when she didn’t come after 24 hours, staff members contacted Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge for help. Rescuers immediately knew the babies were in danger.

1 week ago | thedodo.com | Maeve Dunigan

Recently, veterinarians at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, in Boyce, Virginia, admitted a new patient — a central ratsnake with a mysterious egg-shaped lump protruding from his midsection. Ratsnakes can easily digest eggs, even when swallowed whole. So why wasn’t this “egg” moving down the snake’s digestive tract? Veterinarians quickly realized what was going on — the snake had mistakenly eaten a fake egg.

1 week ago | thedodo.com | Maeve Dunigan

Last month, a woman was walking her dog around a lake in Victoria, Australia, when she noticed a dark object hanging from a tree over the water. Getting a better look, the woman realized the tiny figure was a bat who’d gotten hopelessly tangled in a piece of discarded fishing line. At first, the woman feared the worst for the animal. But then she saw the tiny figure begin to move. The woman called Vicki Fox, of Fly By Night Bat Clinic Victoria, and told her the news.

2 weeks ago | thedodo.com | Maeve Dunigan

Last year, a man named Jake was walking along the edge of a canyon in Mission Viejo, California, when he heard an odd sound echoing from an abandoned pool on the side of the path. “Even upon hearing the little puppy grunts I didn’t immediately put it together,” Jake told The Dodo. Approaching the pool, Jake saw 10 fluffy faces inside — a pile of puppy siblings abandoned in the wilderness. The area was right by the City of Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, which couldn’t be a coincidence.