Otter rescued after wandering into British veterinary clinic

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- An ailing otter that wandered into a British veterinary office is recovering after being captured by animal rescuers.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the adult female otter was found Nov. 16 at the Vets4Pets veterinary practice inside the Pets At Home store in Rugby, England.

"When I arrived the otter was just hiding under some pallets. She wasn't stuck, but she did have some cuts on her face and around her tail," RSPCA Inspector Georgia McCormick said.

"It took an hour to catch her, as she had lots of places to hide and I tried not to make sure she didn't get too stressed," McCormick said. "I took her to a specialist vet as her breathing sounded a little wheezy and I thought she would benefit from a check over. She's had some antibiotics to help with her breathing though and she's now eating and doing well, so hopefully she'll be released soon."

Jenny Pails, owner of the Vets4Pets practice, said the otter was not a patient.

"We see many animals in our veterinary practice and store, but a wild British otter is not one of them," she said. "While it's fantastic to see these wonderful creatures, and know they're living nearby, we much prefer them to be outside and not stuck in our warehouse."

McCormick said the otter may have wandered in from a nearby habitat.

"Nobody was exactly sure where the otter had come from, but the most likelihood is that she came from the River Avon which is only a couple of fields away. She probably came exploring for some food and warmth," McCormick said.