On Wednesday, the City of Dalton Fire Department in Georgia posted a sweet photo to their Facebook page of a firefighter holding an "embarrassed" raccoon. The photo was taken shortly after firefighters rescued the adventurous mammal from inside a resident's home. The fire department's Facebook followers were delighted by the adorable creature, who has since been returned to its rightful home.
"You never know what the day is going to hold when you show up for your shift as a firefighter," the post reads. "Sure, there may be the occasional cat needing to be rescued from a tree, but a raccoon? That's a new one."
Chief Todd Pangle told Newsweek that a homeowner called the fire department's business line Monday night after hearing a strange coming from behind the refrigerator. When they arrived, the crew, not knowing what to expect, shined a light behind the appliance and found two little eyes staring back at them.
With their culprit already identified and cornered, it didn't take long to capture the raccoon.
As the team worked together to safely secure the raccoon, the homeowner noticed that the animal covered its face each time a firefighter picked it up. So before they released it back into the wild, she grabbed a quick picture.
"As you can tell, he was pretty embarrassed about it, but it's really nothing to be ashamed of," the fire department said in its Facebook post. "We all need a helping hand every now and then."
The department hopes that the animal will be a "little less adventurous" in the pursuit of its next snack.
Commenters enjoyed seeing the photo appear in their newsfeeds.
"Ok now that's gotta be one of the cutest things ever," said a commenter named Jessica.
A Facebook user named Barbara wrote, "Thank you for sharing. That is so sweet."
Pangle wanted to share the story with the department's Facebook following because he wanted to add a little levity to everyone's days.
"I wanted to share a little bit of comic relief at a time when people really need it," he said.
This raccoon story isn't the first to make headlines recently. Last month, Florida State University student Haley Iliff went viral on Twitter after she shared photos of her trashed room as a result of a raccoon falling through her roof.
Because the roof had been damaged and "remained open to the sky," several other raccoons also found their way inside. The animals were eventually captured and removed from the home, but not before they could do some major damage.
"No idea how much this is gonna cost me, at the very least I'll need new sheets," she tweeted at the time.
To remove a raccoon from inside a home, the Humane Society recommends using "gentle" and "multisensory" techniques. According to their website, a combination of bright lights, loud noises and unpleasant smells works best. It is good to note that these techniques should be used at dusk, as raccoons are nocturnal and easily confused during the daytime.
Additionally, homeowners should be health-conscious when cleaning up after a raccoon. The Humane Society recommends hiring a professional; however, the CDC has a detailed set of guidelines for those choosing to clean a raccoon latrine on their own.
