The rescue of a trapped pigeon in Halls Head has been named as one of the strangest call-outs received by RSPCA WA in 2022.
The animal charity received nearly 23,000 calls from concerned members of the public last year.
One of those was from a concerned member of the public about the bird, which was entangled in fishing line on a TV antenna.
The RSPCA and firefighters from Mandurah and Fremantle worked for around an hour to retrieve the pigeon, which was distressed and badly injured.
He was rushed straight to a local vet but sadly could not be saved due to the extent of his injuries.
Other strange call-outs included a call about an abandoned dog in distress.
An inspector attended and met a confused homeowner with two cats, who soon realised her security alarm was set to play the sound of a barking dog.
Another was about a cat that had been impaled on a metal fence.
Much to the inspector’s relief, it turned out to be a garden ornament.
The RSPCA also received a call about cruelty to a bee pictured on a government website.
While the bee did have a chip on its shoulder, it was a harmless sensor used to track the species’ movement for research.
PIC: CSIRO
The last strange call-out was a driver who spotted a deceased dog strung up in a tree.
Closer inspection revealed it was a cuddly toy.
"RSPCA WA’s call centre is open 24 hours a day, and our inspectors are on the road 365 days a year investigating reports of cruelty and neglect," RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said.
"We take every report seriously, however every now and then we’ll get a call-out that provides some much needed comic relief or turns out to be a case of mistaken identity.
"This list of our favourite calls is a light-hearted way to celebrate the tough, tireless and sometimes surprising work RSPCA WA’s inspectors undertake. In this job, no two days are the same and you learn to expect the unexpected."
In 2022, RSPCA WA investigated 6520 cases and inspectors travelled more than 335,000kms.
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