RSPCA reveals its funniest calls of 2018 including plastic 'beheaded' swans and toy scorpions

The RSPCA has revealed its "funniest calls of 2018", including a plastic “beheaded swan” and a fur hat that was mistaken for a dead cat.

The animal welfare charity also told how a member of the public thought she had spotted a venomous scorpion, which turned out to be a toy.

In a statement on Monday, the charity said: "Every day is different with our staff responding to heartbreaking calls, taking on hair-raising rescues and, from time-to-time, dealing with laugh-out-loud situations."

RSPCA inspectors recalled the most bizarre call outs they received last year in a bid to lift the public's spirits on Blue Monday.

Officers were concerned after receiving a call from an upset woman that she had seen a beheaded swan in Warrington, Cheshire, the RSPCA said.

But when they arrived at the scene, they realised it was a plastic model, and quickly patched it up.

Inspector Claire Fisher said: "The woman called us and said the bird was collapsed with the neck stretched out.

"I met the site manager at Gemini Business Park and we soon realised no veterinary treatment would be necessary - as the bird was a plastic model!"

The RSPCA also thought they were dealing with another “scary and sinister” incident in London on September 5, when someone reported a skinned cat dumped in a front garden in Stoke Newington.

RSPCA inspector Kate Ford attended the scene after members of the public reported the grisly find to the animal welfare charity and police.

But she said: “When I arrived, the body of the ‘cat’ had been covered with a towel.

“We were told it was just the cat’s fur coat that had been left and the animal had no head.

“This wasn’t surprising when I arrived and found it wasn’t a cat at all - but a fur hat.

“I was very relieved it wasn’t the dark case I was expecting to turn up to.”

Meanwhile members of the public in Grantham, Lincolnshire, were so terrified when they spotted a bright red, potentially venomous scorpion on the pavement that they cordoned off the area with cones for two hours.

But RSPCA animal collection officer Paula Jones arrived to find the scorpion was a rubber toy, which she now keeps in her van.

And a cushion was mistaken for an injured owl in Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire, while a chewed dog toy prompted fears of a collapsed lizard in Hackney.

Residents of Port Talbot also made distressing calls after a “dead dog” on a roof was revealed to be a cuddly toy, while a “cat stuck up 80ft up a tree” was actually a “rather podgy” squirrel.

In another swan-related incident, RSPCA Inspector Claire Little was ready to rush a seriously injured bird to local vets when she attended a call on December 29 to a swan who had crash-landed in a car park.

She went to the scene in Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire, but struggled to find the injured bird, and in its place were five decorative, wooden swans being used as Christmas decorations.

In Southsea, a member of the public thought a bird was caught by the foot in a flag pole 30ft high, but it turned out to be a kite used to scare birds away.

Assistant director of the RSPCA Inspectorate Dermot Murphy says: “Every day is different at the RSPCA and our officers are used to responding to heartbreaking calls, taking on hair-raising rescues and, from time-to-time, dealing with laugh-out-loud situations.

“From stuffed toys to decorative models, our officers have helped them all.

“While we all enjoy a giggle at this time of year, there is a serious message here too. Every year we’re under more and more pressure to help animals who desperately need us.

“Everyone who called us had genuine concerns that there was an animal in distress and we rely on public to be our eyes and ears and let us know when they fear an animal is suffering.

“Perhaps these calls are just a reminder to maybe take a closer look before picking up the phone.

“However, thankfully these mishaps are few and far between and we would like to thank everyone who takes the time to report suffering to us and helps us make the world a kinder place for animals.”