Bystander uses laundry pods to help free trapped raccoon, Massachusetts cops say

An alert bystander who noticed a raccoon with its head stuck in a storm drain grate later assisted police with its rescue using two laundry pods, Massachusetts cops reported.

Fernando Rivera Jr. spotted the trapped animal at Heritage Park in Holyoke on Monday, April 14, police said in a news release.

He flagged down officers in front of the police station, the department said. Officers removed the drain but could not free the raccoon.

Rivera squeezed detergent from two laundry pods onto the raccoon’s head, police said.

Officers were able to squeeze the animal’s head free from the grate after about 20 minutes, police said. Animal control officers retrieved the raccoon.

“This is wonderful,” read a comment on the police post on Facebook.

Holyoke is about a 90-mile drive west from Boston.

This story was originally published April 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Bystander uses laundry pods to help free trapped raccoon, Massachusetts cops say."