If you walked by a storm drain and heard the unmistakable sound of a puppy yelping for its mother, what would you do? If you were an animal lover, you would probably check inside to see if some cute critter needed to be saved.

That’s exactly what two Colorado Springs residents did when they were in that situation recently.

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Upon looking inside the drain, the two responsible citizens witnessed a seemingly dire situation: nine newborn puppies were stuck inside squirming, yelping, and unaccompanied by their mother. The citizens responded by instantly calling the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

The heroic firefighters arrived and prepared for a typical animal retrieval, something they do quite often. They were there to save the puppies, but unfortunately their actions turned out to do more harm than good.