This June, while taking a morning stroll, Toby picked up on problems coming from a nearby garbage can. The rescue dog launched into action right away, bringing his mother along with him.
The two came across three infants in need of assistance there.
“I saw him looking north and ears perked,” Rebecca Brooks, Toby’s mom told.
“We have seen many large and small critters including deer, turkey, raccoons, and opossums wandering down our street, so I looked for what he was focusing on.”
Toby’s intuition led Brooks to a surprising discovery.
“That’s when I heard some scratching noises and saw two tiny black paws trying to reach the top of the bin,” Brooks said. “We walked over and that’s when I noticed three baby raccoons trying to get out, but the trash was too low for them to do so.”
Toby and Brooks hurried home to obtain something that would help get the infants to safety.
“I hurried inside to wake my daughter [for help filming],” she said. “She got up right away and put her shoes on. I grabbed the broom and we headed out.”
Here is where you can see Toby and Brooks save the young raccoons:
@allhandsontoby A fun little rescue at 5am. At least they had full bellies 🥰 #racoonbabies #dumpsterdiving #animalrescue #tobytok
The babies accepted the assistance and then paused to humbly thank the rescuers. Additionally, this isn’t the first time Brooks and Toby have teamed up to save an animal.
“We rescued a bigger raccoon a year or so ago with the help of a neighbor’s ladder,” Brooks said. “I’ll find an inexpensive ladder or piece of wood somewhere to keep near the bin for future rescues. I didn’t want the babies to be buried or get too hot.
“Normally, the bins remain closed. If they are open, it’s not for long”, Brooks added.
“I am so thankful they understood what we were trying to do,” she said. “And Toby was amazing. Not a single bark or growl the entire time. Mama and babies have been seen around the area, skittering from one storm drain to another. I can only imagine our neighborhood dumpster buffet feeds them well.”
