Heroic Officer Rescues Skunk On Same Street Where He Once Saved Ducklings

The police department said he won't receive any special commendations, but we can think of a few he should get.

Officer of the year?

Police Officer Merlin Taylor of Rochester, Michigan, was caught on dash cam video Sunday freeing a baby skunk whose head was stuck in an empty yogurt container.

The heroic rescue took place on the very same same street where Taylor was photographed a few years ago saving some ducklings that had fallen through a sewer grate.

Sgt. Mark Lyon told The Detroit News that the Rochester Police Department was happy Taylor was able to assist the skunk, but he wouldn’t be receiving any special commendations.

“I don’t know what we could award him for besides quick moves,” he said.

Really, Rochester Police? Because we have some ideas:

  • Excellence in Small Animal Saving
  • Medal of Outstanding Enforcement of Critter Welfare
  • Skunk’s Choice Award
  • Merlin Award (because of his name)
  • Pee-Yew-Litzer Prize (get it?)

In all seriousness, though, yogurt cups can pose a serious threat to small wild animals. Wildlife experts say the design of Yoplait cups makes them especially risky, because an inside rim prevents animals like foxes, possums and skunks from pulling the cups off their heads.

General Mills put a warning on Yoplait containers in 1998 asking consumers to “crush the cup." The company also slightly modified the cup's actual design, but wildlife experts maintained that it wasn't enough.

A Change.org petition asking General Mills to redesign the containers has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

CORRECTION: This article previously misstated the location of the Rochester Police Department as Rochester, New York. The department is in Rochester, Michigan.

Send the author of this article your heroic tales of animal rescue.

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