In late August, a small toad in The Colony, Texas, found himself in a seriously awkward situation.
While trying to squeeze through a hole in a sprinkler valve cover, he got wedged halfway — his front half free, his back legs stuck tight.
Fortunately for him, the sprinkler system belonged to The Colony Animal Services, and a few sharp-eyed officers happened to spot him while taking shelter dogs out for a potty break.
“I don’t imagine he had been stuck there long,” said Mark Cooper, director of The Colony Animal Services.
When the officers noticed the little toad blinking at them — as if silently asking for help — they jumped into action.
They tried to gently pull him free, but no matter how carefully they tugged, he wouldn’t budge. So they transported the stuck amphibian, believed to be a Texas toad, to a nearby vet clinic for a more delicate rescue.
At the clinic, the staff applied medicated lubricant and slowly worked to ease the toad out. For 15 long minutes, the determined little creature squirmed and resisted every move.
“He was a spitfire to say the least,” Cooper said. “He fought us the entire time.”
Finally, the toad popped free — completely unharmed. Officers immediately brought him back to where he’d been found so he could safely hop off home.
Though this was a first for The Colony Animal Services, it turns out toads, frogs, and even snakes often get trapped in sprinkler valve covers. After seeing the rescue post online, several people shared similar stories — and clever prevention tips.
“We just had the same thing happen,” one commenter wrote. “We stuck wine corks in the holes to keep them from getting trapped again.”
Cooper says his team was just happy to help, even if their little patient put up quite the fight.
“That’s typical behavior for Texas toads,” he said with a laugh. “We didn’t take it personally.”
