HAMDEN - Late Wednesday morning the Hamden Fire Department made a robin rescue on Gorham Avenue.
Somebody walked into the station to report a robin was entangled in balloon string upside down in the upper branches of a tree and in considerable distress.
Responding firefighters were unable to access the bird using a ladder because the location and size of the branches would not support the weight of a fire rescue ladder and firefighter.
So, the firefighters got creative and built a rescue device using long pike poles that are usually used to pull down ceilings in a fire and taped them to pruning shears.
The device worked, and the bird was lowered by the balloon string to firefighters who were able to then free the robin from the string.
After a few minutes resting on the ground, the uninjured bird flew away.
Now, PETA is awarding the heroes a Compassionate Fire Department Award!
"Thanks to these firefighters' patience and dedication, this little robin escaped a terrifying and potentially deadly ordeal," says PETA Senior Director Colleen O'Brien. "PETA hopes their compassion will inspire people everywhere to come to the aid of animals in need."
PETA says it will send the Hamden Fire Department a framed certificate, a box of vegan cookies, and a copy of a book called "The Engine Two Diet," which outlines a Texas firefighter's 28-day plan for staying in firefighting shape by eating plant-based meals.