A squad of firefighters rescued a plump squirrel that weaseled its way into a dumpster in upstate New York on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n
The intrepid firefighters with the Binghamton Fire Department rolled out of the station on Christmas Eve to free the puffy-cheeked rodent, when it got its head stuck in a drain hole on the side of a dumpster.<\/p>\n
The rodent \u2014 which was gifted by rescuers with the festive name Holly \u2014 didn\u2019t put up a fight as the firefighters used \u201cpatience, care, and a very gentle touch\u201d to wedge it free, the department wrote on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n A chunky squirrel was rescued from a dumpster in upstate New York on Christmas Eve. Binghamton Fire Department<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter the size of the call, we\u2019re always ready to help. Another successful rescue, and one very relieved squirrel back to business as usual!\u201d the department wrote.<\/p>\n The squirrel was nearly frozen stiff, so the firefighters relinquished it to the All Creatures Great and Small Wildlife Rehabilitation. There, the rodent, was treated to a Christmas Eve smorgasbord complete with heaps of peanuts, water and Gatorade, according to the post.<\/p>\n The squirrel was nearly frozen solid. Binghamton Fire Department<\/p>\n The squirrel, informally dubbed \u2018Holly\u2019, recovered at a local animal sanctuary. Facebook<\/p>\n On Christmas morning, Holly was bandaged up and released into the wild. The rehab workers praised the firefighters for treating their holiday guest with the utmost care. <\/p>\n One famous squirrel from Holly\u2019s neck of the woods wasn\u2019t as fortunate.<\/p>\n P\u2019Nut the Squirrel<\/a>, a viral pet sensation, was killed in October 2024 during a raid at his rescuer\u2019s animal sanctuary, P\u2019Nut\u2019s Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc. P\u2019Nut\u2019s raccoon pal, Fred,<\/a> was also savagely decapitated during the raid.<\/p>\n P\u2019Nut the Squirrel was killed during a raid at its owner\u2019s animal rescue in October 2024. P\u0092Nut the Squirrel\/ Instagram<\/p>\n Agents with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation descended onto the Pine City home and seized the sanctuary\u2019s lovable mascots<\/a>. Initial reports claimed that P\u2019Nut bit an agent\u2019s thumb shortly before being euthanized, though its owners later claimed in a lawsuit<\/a> that it was decapitated. <\/p>\n The agency retained and froze the animals\u2019 headless corpses<\/a> at the state Department of Health\u2019s Avon offices. <\/p>\n P\u2019Nut\u2019s owners claimed that the squirrel was decapitated. P\u0092Nut the Squirrel\/ Instagram<\/p>\n The flagrant disregard for both creatures\u2019 lives sparked an uproar online as many criticized the agency for the overt government overreach. <\/p>\n In April, Republican lawmakers in the New York State Senate introduced \u201cPeanut\u2019s Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act\u201d<\/a> \u2014 which would require the Department of Environmental Conservation to wait 72 hours before euthanizing any seized animals.<\/p>\n