Mysterious Creature Is Rescued By A Hiker In A Muddy Pond

Most humans have a natural instinct to protect animals; we have an empathic connection to care for and protect critters. This is the true story of a man that went out of his way to save a creature, no matter how dangerous or difficult it may be. Read on for an unbelievable feat and the mystery it unraveled.

Jim Passmore, a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma resident, was on his daily walk with his dogs around the peaceful forest area near his home. Little did he know this day would change his life.

Born and raised in Broken Arrow, Jim Passmore is a nature lover. He’s very lucky that his hometown is surrounded by beautiful landscapes, where he often encounters wild animals, such as beavers, foxes, bobcats, deer, and groundhogs. Although he never directly interacts with them.

It was a crisp March morning when Jim took his usual stroll. Throughout the usual path, there was always something extraordinary about walking along the creek. He found it to be a place of unmatched beauty and inspiration. 

Suddenly, Jim noticed something very odd. Floating in the creek was a strange log. He had never seen anything like it. When he took a closer peek, he noticed it wasn’t wood but fur. He didn’t know what to do because he wasn’t even sure what this thing was.

Dogs have better hearing and smell than humans. Some people even claim that they can smell danger. Although it’s not entirely true, they are very receptive to sound and smell, which can be a sign of something not being right.

Jim thought about the animals that usually roam around the forest he takes his daily walks in. He thought of the slim possibility of a deer or another animal falling into the creek and getting stuck in a log. Then, an idea occurred to him.

When he turned around, he found an animal transporting crate. It was pretty large and unkept, clearly abandoned by someone. This was possibly a new clue. Was this crate somehow linked to the distressed beaver? And if so, how?

Nothing made sense to Jim, but he wanted to get to the bottom of this enigma. There were so many possibilities as to why the transporter was there he decided to stop speculating. When he looked inside, he was horrified by what he found.

As he was examining the cage, something came out of the bushes. Jim couldn’t believe it. A beaver! The creature looked straight into his eyes. It was like he was trying to communicate something.

 While following the beaver, Jim came closer to the edge. The ground was very soft and dangerous. He had to be very careful because this type of swampy soil wasn’t to be trusted. He came closer to the creature in distress, and as he did so, he realized it was much larger than a beaver. It was going to take a lot of effort. 

Although he didn’t know what the creature was, he was determined to save its life. He thought of the possibility of it being a massive beaver, but that theory was starting to fade. 

One thing was sure; he had to be extremely careful. 

Being attacked was Jim’s biggest fear, but what crossed his mind was that this animal could also carry rabies. If he was bitten by it, it could be very bad news for him.

Rabies is one of the most fatal diseases for humans; it causes a lot of distress to whoever is infected. 

The mystery was starting to unfold, but the relentless animal seemed to be very anxious. Even with help, it was very tough getting the creature out of the mud, and now that it was getting aggressive, they had no option but to cover its head.

The team tried to pull, but the bulky animal was too heavy and stuck. They had to find a way. They couldn’t give up now. One of the people helping started digging around it, but something else was needed. 

After struggling against the force of nature and the animal they were trying to save. Jim and the team of volunteers were able to give a final pull and release the creature from the mud. Everybody was panting, fatigued from the effort. But now, they would know what mystery animal lay beneath the wrapped t-shirt. Being very careful, Jim carefully approached the panting animal. 

Not a log, not a groundhog, and definitely not a beaver. It was a dog! And it was scared to bits. The poor canine had been trapped, possibly for many hours, in the muddy creek. Shocked by the experience, the dog curled up in relief. 

The oddest part of the ordeal was that a beaver was the one that had led him to the scene. If it weren’t for the beaver’s inclination, Jim would’ve probably dismissed the furry log as something strange floating on the lake and continued with his day. 

Even though the dog seemed to be responsive, it was still in an awful condition. He needed to be transported to the veterinary emergency room immediately. He was also aggressive and protective of its wounds. 

Teddy, the survivor dog, could not walk by himself and was too aggressive to be carried in someone’s arms. So one of the rescue team members rushed to get something that would allow the move. Luckily, they found a wheelbarrow from a nearby ranger.  

When they reached the car, one of the team members suggested Jim call the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, also known as the OAA. When he did, they gave him instructions and told him to wait where he was, which at this point, was a parking lot. 

While the vets were treating Teddy, Jim filed his report to the OAA. They started to think of possible theories about how the poor dog had met such a fate. All of the theories were uncomfortable but realistic.

After his lengthy vet consultation, it was decided that Teddy would have to undergo treatment. The Oklahoma Alliance of Animals found him somewhere suitable instead of immediately sending him to a shelter. He needed recovery and rest.  

Teddy was in stable condition and treated by professionals who genuinely care about animal wellbeing. He was in good hands for now. After being tested, it was confirmed he didn’t have rabies or any infection or disease. So the team member that got bitten could relax. 

Teddy was still in a lot of distress. He couldn’t get used to his cage at the OAA and was still showing aggressive behavior toward the staff, growling and nipping anyone who came nearby. Poor Teddy couldn’t sleep and was restless most of the time.  

The vets determined through their analysis that Teddy wasn’t a puppy. Actually, he was far from being one. He was over seven years old and had a pretty rough life. This isn’t good for dogs that are up for adoption because people usually prefer adopting young, cute puppies.

After long treatments, he was finally improving, but there was another issue. Teddy refused to exercise. This made him overweight and prone to a lot of problems, especially in the joints, ligaments, and bones.  

Then, something unexpected happened. Jim’s Facebook post, where he told the details of his adventure, started gaining a lot of traction and became somewhat viral. This was very positive for Teddy since this would raise his chances of getting adopted. Many people were interested in the story and started making up theories as to how he had ended up in the mud.

Thanks to social media and the OAA, Teddy would be in good hands. He was starting to be more docile, especially toward one of the receptionists at the OAA. His slow but sure improvement would be very beneficial when his time came to be adopted.

Although Teddy was in good hands, that isn’t the luck of the over six million animals that are processed yearly in the US animal shelter system. Most of these animals are dogs.  

As for Teddy, he had a happy ending, after all! According to a Facebook post on his official page that said: “Teddy was adopted by one of the only people he liked at Alta Vista Animal Hospital while staying there. When he first arrived at the clinic, he was a bit on the cranky side, but now lives in his new home with his momma Jessie and other dogs.”

Teddy got a new chance at life, and he’s enjoying every minute of it. He even likes running and playing now! What seemed to be a tragic end for him was only the beginning of his life with a family that now loves and cares for him.