RSPCA's top ten animal rescues of 2016 - including a slippery customer in North Yorkshire

Here they are:

1 Bar-king mad!

An enthusiastic pooch got herself into a bar-king mad situation after getting her head wedged between two bars during an afternoon walk.

Five-month-old Schnauzer, Juno, was released following an operation involving the RSPCA and Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service on 23 March.

Her owner raised the alarm after she got stuck in the fence in Bonis Crescent, Stockport.

But it was a happy ending when Juno was freed with a wagging tail and no injuries.

2 Ssssssslippery customer

A couple had a shock when they opened the door to their airing cupboard to find a corn snake on the loose, on 28 October.

They contacted the RSPCA and when animal collection officer Lucy Green arrived at the house in York, the slippery snake had slithered into the head of the vacuum cleaner!

Luckily, Lucy was able to free him and eventually, the two-year-old called Vecky who had been missing for three months - was reunited with his owner.

3 Fail at first fence

The RSPCA and firefighters came to the rescue of a horse after a dog walker spotted her stuck on a footbridge in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

A man spotted the skewbald mare as he walked on 27 September after she fell and got three legs trapped on one side of the bridge and one leg on the other.

Luckily, despite some bloody wounds, she wasn’t seriously injured and RSPCA officers, fire crews and a vet managed to pull her free and get her to safety.

4 Curiosity killed the cat… almost!

They say curiosity killed the cat - well it almost did at a home in Kendal on October 5.

Tabby puss Maggie May was following her owner down the stairs when she got wedged under the stairlift, trapped by her stomach and back legs.

A vet, RSPCA officer and engineer all rushed to the scene and inspector Chris Towler used a car jack to left the seat off her.

Thankfully, she came out no worse for wear!

5 Spice gull

A gull in Newport had to be rescued after having a craving for a taster of beak-a masala or some gull-frazi and ended up falling into a vat of cold Tandoori curry - turning him bright orange!

Unfortunately, the bird didn’t get any gull aloo as the RSPCA were called to rescue him on August 2 and rushed him to a wildlife centre for a check-up by a vet.

Luckily, he was uninjured and, after a good clean, was all ready to be released.

6 Have your cake and… post it!

Eight-year-old Siamese cat, Cupcake, had a narrow escape after climbing into a box - which was then posted 260 miles from Cornwall to West Sussex!

She clambered into the package of second-hand CDs and DVDs which was then mailed from Falmouth to Goring-by-Sea.

The RSPCA was called on March 22 after the company discovered the unusual cargo and, luckily, Cupcake’s microchip meant she could be returned to her worried owners - who hadn’t seen her for eight days!

7 It all went swimmingly well!

Six goldfish were rescued from a culvert in Abergavenny after the RSPCA were called to the same location - twice.

On 22 March, two goldfish were rescued from the entrance to the open drain, and four more were found on 30 March.

It’s unclear where the goldfish came from but inspectors believed they may have simply been let loose into the water system.

The fish, all of which were healthy, were taken to an outdoor pond which belongs to the caller’s friend.

8 What ewe looking at?

This sheep had a baaad day after getting her head stuck in a traffic cone in the middle of a field in Hertfordshire.

Wool-kers spotted her on 4 December and called the RSPCA to rescue her. Inspector Rachel Smith managed to pull the cone off and set her free.

Thankfully, despite feeling a little sheepish, the ewe wasn’t injured and happily ran off to rejoin her flock.

9 Toad in a hole lot of bother!

A podgy toad found himself in a very embarrassing predicament when he got wedged face down in garden decking - with his bum and back legs sticking in the air!

RSPCA inspector Jason Finch was called to the Norwich garden on 20 July to help free the porky toad. He tried to wriggle him out of the gap but, when he slipped through to the void beneath the decking, he had to saw the decking board to free him. Happily, he was then returned to the garden pond where he belongs!

10 Bull-basaur

A Pokemon Go gamer had a bit of a surprise when his hunt for virtual Pikachus turned into a real-life animal rescue mission!

He called in RSPCA support after finding the cow stuck in a metal feeder - in Wythenshawe Park, Manchester, on 27 July - with her head wedged in a gap between the railings.

Along with help from the fire & rescue service, the cow was freed and returned to her herd.