Britain has a global reputation as animal lovers who will go to any lengths to save a creature from discomfort.
And no-one knows this better the hard workers at the RSPCA who uphold this national mindset.
As this year comes to a close, the much-loved charity has revealed some of their biggest rescues of the year.
From saving a seal pup trapped beneath a tonne of boulders in Port Talbot to recovering a tiny bat stuck in a pot hole, staff have certainly had their work cut out in 2017.
A fox found herself in a tight spot – with her head trapped between two tombstones
Pictured: A small frog discovered floating in the lavatory at a home in Ulverston, Cumbria
Other rescues include a hedgehog stuck in a fruit bowl, a frog in a toilet and a cat found prowling around a nightclub’s VIP lounge.
While an unlucky fox was found in the graveyard of St Mary Magdalene Church in Leamington Spa was trapped between two headstones was swiftly rescued by inspector Georgia McCormick and released back into the wild.
Animal collection officer Kirstie Gillard was called in July by a terrified homeowner who spotted the bedraggled bat stuck down their plug hole.
The tiny creature – half the size of Kirstie’s thumb – was initially mistaken for a rat and was found hanging from the grid over the plug at the home in Chislehurst, Kent.
What a headache: A little kitten who got his head stuck in a drainage hole of a bin
Stuck: The poor puss had managed to get its head stuck through a whole in the bottom of a bin
Kirstie pulled the sodden critter free and made him some mini hot water bottles using disposable gloves before taking him to the Wildlife Aid Foundation wildlife hospital, in Leatherhead, Surrey.
In Canterbury, a porky hedgehog had to be freed in the early hours of the morning after it became wedged in a metal grate.
Inspector Deborah Pert said: ‘He was a little wide around the waist to make it through and got himself wedged.
‘Luckily, I was able to carefully wriggle him free, although it did take some time.
‘I kept stroking his spines to encourage him to uncurl and then angled his body to the side so he would fit through easier.
A fox who found himself trapped by his neck between a wall and a fence
A young muntjac deer had a fright after getting stuck under a shed in a garden in Stanborough Green, Hertfordshire
Another hedgehog in Redditch, got stuck between decorative wires on a fruit bowl, and had to be freed by a fire crew.
Officers in Port Talbot were forced to move more than one tonne of boulders after a seal pup became stuck under heavy rocks.
The seal, named Miracle by bystanders, was freed and taken to an RSPCA wildlife centre in Somerset for rehabilitation.
A poor terrier became stuck in a metal fence in Bexleyheath in July, and was so badly wedged that the fire service had to come and save her.
Terrier Poppy caught in a fence at Bexleyheath, Kent
Tiny bat pup who had to be rescued from a house in Chislehurst, Kent
A clumsy cat had to be rescued from a bicycle frame after its head became stuck in Greenford, west London – with its head and front legs stuck on each side of the bike
Owner Julia Clifford said: ‘It was actually a Godsend that she got stuck in that fence because it could well have saved her life.
‘I was so relieved that she was home, safe and sound, and hadn’t run into the road or been hit by a car.’
A terrified dog in Diss, Norfolk, had to be rescued after falling three-metres into hay bales, and a local farmer was roped in to move the pup with his forklift.
One puppy spooked by fireworks became even more scared after she ran head-first into a six-inch gap between a conservatory and brick wall – and got stuck.
A clumsy cat had to be rescued from a bicycle frame after its head became stuck in Greenford, west London – with its head and front legs stuck on each side of the bike.
Dog in boots: A terrified dog in Diss, Norfolk, had to be rescued after falling three-metres into hay bales, and a local farmer was roped in to move the pup with his forklift
Undercover: A little starling stuck in a manhole cover
A hedgehog wedged in a metal gate (left) and a fox cub caught in a metal wire fence (right)
One furry feline – aptly named Disco – decided she was a VIP and set up home in a nightclub lounge in Wrexham, Wales.
The prowling puss escaped staffs’ clutches for three days before they called in inspector Kia Thomas to help.
In Tadworth, Surrey, a tiny cub was outfoxed by a metal wire fence and had to be cut free by animal welfare officer Carl Hone.
Another fox, in Dartford, Kent, managed to trap his neck between a wall and a fence and was struggling to breathe until the fire and rescue service saved him.
A little starling was startled after she got stuck in a manhole cover in Carlisle, Cumbria.
Animal welfare officer Sam Jopson said: ‘I think it’s safe to say this startled starling found herself in a whole lot of trouble after flying up from the drains below and getting her head stuck in a gap in the metal cover.
A small hedgehog stuck in a fruit bowl in Redditch in the Midlands
‘Or perhaps she was playing a little game of peck-a-boo when she got her head stuck?
‘She had literally popped her head above the parapet to call for help.’
A young muntjac deer had a fright after getting stuck under a shed in a garden in Stanborough Green, Hertfordshire, in May.
The animal had tried to jump a fence but got wedged between the shed and fence and animal collection officer Kate Wright covered his head with a towel to calm him down before gently loosening him from under the wooden panels.
In Ulverston, Cumbria, a man was left stunned after he found a frog in his loo which thwarted efforts to capture him before eventually being released in a nearby canal.
And RSPCA officer was called to a field in Hawkshaw, Greater Manchester, after two girls found a ewe with her head stuck in a tree trunk.