Oklahoma Man Thought He Was Rescuing A Beaver, But It Turned Out To Be Something Else
Native to the wilderness of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Jim Passmore is used to the beauty that comes with a brisk morning walk. But one day, his typical woodland path along the creek brought him face to face with something unexpected.
At first, Passmore thought it was nothing more than a beaver stuck in the creek bed's mud. But after further investigation, the creature turned out to be something else entirely, and Passmore's thirty-minute walk quickly turned into a rescue mission.
Jim Passmore Is A Native To Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
For Jim Passmore, it started off like any other day. As a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native, he loves to take walks in the crisp air, typically bringing his dog along for treks through the wooded areas surrounding his home.
What Passmore didn't expect, though, was to come across something completely unexpected. And what was just another typical day in this normal Oklahoma man's life turned out to be something else altogether.
Nature Walks, Wildlife, And Dogs
Being a native of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Jim Passmore grew up with a deep love of nature. Living in the south-central region of The United States, he has his fair share of crystal lakes, sprawling mountains, and serene vistas.
But if there is one thing Passmore loves more than walking through nature and looking at the various wildlife, it's his two dogs -- there is very little this man wouldn't do for his pooches.
He Noticed Something Unexpected
Passmore's two dogs are his constant walking companions, accompanying him on his daily strolls through the wilderness close to his house. Well, technically, they frequent the same path, but even so, the dogs are there!
During one of his daily strolls on that particular path, he noticed something out of the ordinary. When he got a closer look, he couldn't believe what he was seeing; it was definitely out of the ordinary.
Something Was Floating In The Water
When walking on a familiar nature trail, it's common to notice when things are out of sorts, such as a fallen tree or maybe a new nest in a trunk hollow. And while neither of those examples was the case for Passmore, he still couldn't believe what he was seeing.
In the creek located on the side of the trail, Passmore noticed something floating in the water. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly.
The Object Had Fur
At first, the object looked like nothing more than a log. But after getting closer to the water's edge, Passmore was able to tell one thing: whatever was in the water, it had fur.
Was it an animal of some kind? Why would it be floating in the water and not trying to swim to shore? Was Passmore's typical stroll through the woods about to turn into some sort of rescue mission?
The Creature Was Struggling
If he had to guess, Passmore thought the object was an animal stuck in the muddy part of the creek. Creeping a bit closer, he could tell that whatever it was, it was having a difficult time getting itself lose. And from the looks of it, the creature was good and stuck and wearing itself out.
On a usual day, Passmore and his dogs took a leisurely half-hour stroll. Today, it seemed like that half-hour was going to be stretched out.
His Dogs Began To Notice
As a nature and wildlife lover, there was no way Passmore could leave the struggling creature trapped in the mud. What if a predator came along and snatched it up? Nope, this definitely wasn't a typical day for Passmore.
And his two dogs were quickly noticing that something was different. They had stopped walking and now their owner was staring at the creek. It didn't take them long to notice what he was looking at.
The Dogs Started To Growl In Warning
The closer Passmore got to the mysterious muddy creature, the more his dogs weren't having it, and they began to growl. The act was startling to Passmore, as his two dogs have walked this very path multiple times, never reacting this way.
Now, they wouldn't move close to the mound and were trying their hardest to get their owner to take one or ten steps backward, too. What on earth could have spooked the dogs in such a way?
An Animal Cage Was Found In The Shrubs
Even though his dogs were growling in warning, Passmore pressed on, not taking the hint from his canine friends to stay away from whatever was trapped in the creek bed. That's when he stumbled upon something very much out of place.
Hidden in the bushes along the creek was an animal cage. While Passmore believed the thing in the creek was an animal, it could explain the cage. The only thing was that the animal Passmore thought was in the creek wouldn't be placed in a cage.
A Beaver Floating In The Creek Was His First Instinct
At first glance, all Passmore saw in the river was floating brown fur. And while that could be a number of animals, his mind went to a beaver. They float in water, minding their own business, and doing their thing all the time, so why would this be any different?
Well, that hypothesis was thrown out the proverbial window when he found the animal cage. There's no way someone had put a beaver in a cage, right?
Passmore Wanted To Look Inside The Cage
The cage didn't look like it was for a wild animal but more like something a person would transport a pet in if they were going on a plane. Curiosity getting the better of him, Passmore bent down and looked inside.
He hoped doing so would give him some more information on what could have possibly been in the cage. Getting closer to the cage, Passmore's mind starting racing with possibilities.
Maybe The Cage Was A Shelter?
The abandoned cage had Passmore's mind racing with possibilities. If the creature was, in fact, a beaver, maybe it was using the cage as a shelter out of the water? Or maybe a family of groundhogs or something was using it to hide from predators?
And while Passmore would've been just fine with either of those situations, everything changed when he finally looked inside the cage, what he was sent chills down his spine.
Inside The Cage Told A Story
After looking inside the cage, Passmore knew something wasn't right. Animal feces were all over the cage's floor, there was a weighted chain that could have only been used to keep an animal inside, and there was a blanket that was anything but sanitary.
And that wasn't the worst of it. On the side of the cage, there was a huge bite mark. Clearly, whatever was in here, wanted nothing more than to get out.
Something Was Once Chained In The Cage
After thoroughly looking at the inside and outside of the cage, Passmore was confident an animal was once caged to it and was able to, somehow, escape. And while he didn't know if the creature floating in the water was the one in the cage, it made sense since it didn't get far.
Even so, it begged the question: what type of animal was in the cage, and what is stuck in the creek bed mud now?
A Lone Beaver Made An Appearance
Passmore wasn't giving up on his original thought that the creature was a beaver. Ironically, while he was thinking that, one of the fuzzy brown creatures happened to pop out of the woodwork, waddling its way down to the creek.
Not knowing what came over him, Passmore followed the creature, interested to see where it was going. In his gut, Passmore knew following the animal was just something he had to do.
It Was A Bit Bigger Than A Beaver
As he was following the beaver, Passmore quickly realized the ground was extremely soft. No wonder the mystery animal got stuck! But the soft earth didn't deter him from figuring out if the animal needed help, so he kept moving.
Eventually, he was close enough to the creature to realize it was a bit larger than your typical woodland beaver. And while he still couldn't make out what type of animal it was, one thing was certain, it needed help, desperately.
Passmore Didn't Think And Sprang Into Action
If Passmore knew one thing, it was that there was an animal in trouble, and he needed to do everything he could to help. So, without thinking or knowing what type of animal it was, he sprang into action.
Now it was just a matter of figuring out a way to help a wild animal without startling it, angering it, or accidentally startling it into a worse situation than the one it presently found itself in.
Spooking The Animal Was A Huge Concern
No matter what, Passmore knew he had to find a way to help the struggling animal. It was just a matter of coming up with a sound plan that would result in the animal getting free and Passmore walking away with his limbs still intact.
Either way, he was going to figure it out and set the animal free. Nowhere in his plans was a trip to the hospital emergency room.
Rabies and Bites Were Real Fears
Passmore figured that if the creature was a strangely large beaver, it would be very territorial and most likely not want help from a human. Beaver or any other animal, Passmore needed to keep his body parts away from its mouth.
Bites and rabies were another concern, one that scared Passmore a little bit. Of course, he wasn't going to let the thought of a few rabies shots stop him from helping a distressed animal.
He Called In Some Reinforcements
If the animal (maybe beaver) had rabies, then the rescue mission could have gone downhill very quickly, with Passmore going from hero to zero in the blink of an eye. So, Passmore took some precautionary measures and called in some reinforcements.
There was no way he would be able to rescue the animal without a few other people helping. This way, the likelihood of him or someone else getting bitten was slimmer because they'd be able to work together. Or so he thought.
One Of His Friends Was Bitten
Passmore called some of his friends to help him with his rescue mission. As everyone in the group was used to the wilderness, they knew that they would have to approach the creature with extreme caution.
Even so, accidents happen, and one of the men wound up getting bitten by the animal. But even while his friend was being taken to the hospital, Passmore stayed behind, set on freeing the animal from the mud.
They Needed A New Plan Of Attack
After one of his friends was rushed to the hospital, Passmore knew he had to develop a plan so no one else would potentially come in contact with the animal's teeth. So, he was back to the drawing board, thinking of another plan to free the animal from its muddy trap.
That's when a light bulb went off in the Oklahoma native's head. If they were going to get anywhere, they had to do something to the animal first.
Cover The Animal's Head
After thinking it over, Passmore concluded that the safest way for anyone to approach the animal was to cover its head. Without its vision, the creature wouldn't be able to freak out over the number of humans surrounding it.
Even though all the humans wanted to do was help it out, the animal didn't know that! So, Passmore went ahead and threw an old jersey over its head. To his amazement, the animal immediately calmed down.
A Plan Needed To Form...Fast
With the creature's face covered, it finally calmed down, allowing the group of people trying to help it to come up with a game plan. Their first plan of attack was to dig around the creature, hopefully removing enough mud to lift it out.
It was easier said than done. With half of its body submerged in the sticky mud, there was no way to dig the animal out. They needed something else.
A Pulley System Was Their Next Plan
Digging the creature out with their hands wasn't going to cut it. The group realized they needed some sort of pulley system or a crane to lift the creature out of the creek bed. And since a crane probably wasn't going to make it to the creek, a home-made pulley system was going to have to do.
Now it was just a matter of getting the materials and putting something together as swiftly as possible.
It Was Harder Than Anticipated
As it turned out, lifting the animal via pulley wasn't as easy as they anticipated. Even with the strength of a few people, the creature was not budging from its spot in the mud.
Were they ever going to get this poor "beaver" free, or were they going to have to call animal control for help? Before calling an animal service, though, Passmore and his friends continued with their system, hoping for the best.
After Some Time, They Got The Animal To Solid Ground
Passmore and his friends pulled and pulled to little avail. Then, miraculously, they felt something budge. Suddenly, it was much easier to lift the "beaver" out of its mud trap and onto solid ground.
Finally, the creature was safe and sound, and Passmore could breathe a bit easier. Now, it was time to figure out exactly what type of animal Passmore and his buddies risked rabies for. To his surprise, it wasn't at all what he was expecting.
The Animal Was Certainly Not A Beaver
After the animal was finally safe on solid ground, Passmore couldn't wait to wipe it clean. After getting a good amount of mud off of the poor creature's face, Passmore starred at it wide-eyed.
The creature most certainly wasn't an oddly large beaver. As a matter of fact, it wasn't a wild woodland creature at all! Passmore and his friends just rescued and were now dealing with an absolutely terrified dog.
It Was A Frightened Dog
The animal was certainly no large territorial beaver. Instead, it was a medium-sized terrified dog. To Passmore, it looked like some sort of sheepdog, maybe a border collie. Either way, it was obvious the poor thing was scared out of its mind.
Who knows how long the poor animal was stuck in the mud or how it even found itself in this part of the woods. One thing was certain, though, Passmore was going to help the dog anyway he could.
Beaver And Dog: The Dynamic Duo
The dog was safe and out of the mud. But what Passmore couldn't get out of his head was how he thought the pooch was originally a beaver. And not just that, he couldn't believe that it was a beaver who brought him to the distressed animal.
Was it just a coincidence, or had the beaver been taking care of the stuck dog? Either way, the beaver was nowhere to be found, and the dog was out of the mud.
Passmore Called The Authorities
Once they got the dog out of the mud, Passmore and his friends called the local authorities. They had no clue if it was a stray or if someone left it out here to fend for itself. But they weren't about to leave the poor dog alone.
Thankfully, the police officers came to the scene fairly quickly. Now, it was just a matter of checking the dog over and making it ready for transportation.
Keeping The Dog Dry, Warm, And Cozy Was Priority
After looking over the dog some more, Passmore realized it was a bit worse for wear. Thankfully, it was still responsive, even if it was only a little bit. While figuring out their next move, their main concern was keeping the scared dog as warm and comfortable as possible.
With no outward ailments aside from its muddy fur, Passmore, his friends, and the officers didn't think anything was internally wrong with the animal.
Teddy The Muddy Pup
The rescue crew came to name the muddy pooch Teddy. And they were doing everything in their power to make sure they got Teddy to safety. that meant getting him to a professional so they could check him over ASAP.
But, again, that was easier said than done. The rescue crew soon realized that moving Teddy was going to be more difficult than they originally anticipated. He was obviously exhausted from trying to wrestle his way out of the mud.
They Got Teddy Into A Wheelbarrow
It didn't look like Teddy was going to stand on his own four paws any time soon. So, the crew had to come up with another game plan using the resources they had available. Thankfully, one of those resources was a wheelbarrow!
Together, Passmore and his friends lifted Teddy into the wheelbarrow, intending to make their way to a car and hopefully a veterinarian's office. But it was slow-moving, as they didn't want to jolt the dog around on the uneven terrain.
Passmore Called The Oklahoma Alliance For Animals
Once they got out of the woods, Passmore quickly dialed the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals (OAA), asking for their help. The OAA's main mission is to help bring people together to combat animal homelessness, neglect, and abuse.
And, obviously, poor Teddy fell under more than one of those categories. They were more than eager to help, setting up the logistics with Passmore over the phone and making room for Teddy to come in.
Teddy Still Wasn't Sure About His Rescue Team
Even though he'd been around these specific humans for some time, Teddy still wasn't overly responsive and was very much untrusting. And with the poor animal's story pretty much unknown, Passmore could only imagine what happened in its past to act this way.
There were many plausible theories. One being that Teddy was hit by a car, and his old owner left him in the woods to fend for himself. And that wasn't the only horrible theory.
The Next Theory Was Worse
Another theory was that Teddy's old owner brought him out in the woods in that disgusting cage, wanting to get rid of the dog in the water. As much as it saddened Passmore to think about, that theory would explain the weighted chain he found.
But he would prefer not to think too much about Teddy's past. The good news was that the dog was safe now and was going to get some much-needed help.
Teddy Was One Lucky Pooch
Teddy the dog was one lucky pooch. Not only was he given a horrible hand, but he was able to hold on long enough for someone to find him in the muddy creek and take the time to help him out of the situation.
Now, he was even luckier. Oklahoma animal Alliance was able to make room for Teddy! The rescued animal was going to get the help and love he deserved.
Teddy Received Medical Care
While other shelters might have heard Teddy's story and put him to sleep, the OAA didn't. Instead, they helped Teddy, giving him the veterinary help he desperately needed to become stable.
He was even tested for rabies. Needless to say, the man who was bitten earlier in the day was very happy to hear when the results of the test came back as negative. It was a huge relief for everyone.
Shelter Living Was Taking Some Time
The first few days in the shelter were difficult. Teddy wasn't warming up to the workers and didn't exactly like the pen he was placed inside. But, over time, he got used to the people at the OAA administering his medication.
Not that he enjoyed the medication, but it was necessary as the OAA realized the poor animal was probably in a lot of pain after trying to free itself from the muddy pit.
Teddy Was Getting Increasingly Overweight
And while Teddy's pain was a huge concern, there was something else that had to be taken care of, too. Teddy was extremely unhealthy, and his current lack of movement wasn't helping matters.
With all of the medical issues piling on, Teddy became very overweight. And an overweight dog will run into more than one problem. Obviously, that wasn't ideal for a dog who already had a litany of issues it had to overcome.
Teddy Was In For A Litany Of Issues
With his lack of motivation and movement, Teddy was becoming increasingly overweight in the shelter. This meant he was at risk of developing joint issues, ligament problems, internal organ malfunctions, and even high diabetes and high blood pressure.
Pretty much, Teddy needed to get in shape, and healthy very fast, or the OAA wasn't sure what they were going to have to do. It was surely going to be an uphill struggle.
Fame Turned The Pooch Around
Ironically, once Teddy's story became a viral sensation, the sickly pup started to become better! He went from being extremely off-putting and depressed to being energetic and loving. It was almost as if he knew of his fame and wanted to get in better shape.
He even began to warm up to one of the OAA workers, Jessie. Whatever the reason for the complete 180-degree turnaround, Jessie and the other people at OAA couldn't have been happier.
Senior Dogs Are More Difficult To Put Up For Adoption
Teddy's a senior pooch, which means his prospects for adoption were slimmer than that of a puppy or younger dog. Even so, there are a lot of benefits to adopting older dogs people don't think about.
For one, they're not going to get any bigger. Second, adopting a senior dog will give them a loving home outside of a shelter for however long they have left. And thirdly, they're typically less aggressive and more likely to lounge on the couch.
Teddy Was Waiting For Someone To Come And Adopt Him
Pretty much, older senior dogs make for great young family pets. And Teddy could only hope that one day someone was going to walk through the door and pick him out, giving him a fur-ever home.
He was getting more affectionate and playful, so it was only a matter of time before someone walked in, wanting a border collie mix, right? Well, the OAA was on top of it, helping Teddy behind the scenes.
The OAA Was A Huge Help
Thanks to the OAA, Teddy's story went viral, with many people asking about his well-being and progress after being rescued from the muddy pit. With his picture plastered all over the OAA's social media pages, they would be surprised if no one came to adopt the precious animal.
Of course, Teddy was a senior pooch, so it was going to take a bit more campaigning than usual to get someone interested in not only his story but also taking him in.
Teddy Was Adopted By A Familiar Face
As it turned out, Teddy was adopted by the only person he liked, Jessie! On his new Facebook page, his new family posted an update. It said, "Teddy was adopted by one of the only people he liked at Alta Vista Animal Hospital while staying there.
He was a bit on the cranky side when he first arrived at the clinic, but now lives in his new home with his momma Jessie and other dogs."
Teddy Has One Man To Thank
From the looks of it, Teddy is loving his new home life and siblings -- all five of them! That's right, Jessie is an avid animal lover and has five other dogs who Teddy likes to play around with outside.
What started as a horrible journey for the loving border collie mix turned out to have a miraculous ending, all thanks to one man who followed none other than a beaver into the woods.
Happy Pooch And A Happy Life
Teddy couldn't have found a better family to take him in. Not only does he get to spend his days with the one human he actually loves and trusts, but now he has other dogs to play with when it strikes his fancy.
On another one of his Facebook posts, Teddy's humans wrote, "Sunsets and rainbows here this evening! We've all been running [around] since we got home from work!" For a pup once stranded in the mud, Teddy couldn't have asked for a better outcome.
