A short-legged Shetland pony is so small that passers-by have been repeatedly calling authorities thinking the animal is stuck knee-deep in mud.
Local firefighters from Hampshire in southern England have been called out to rescue 73cm-tall pony four times in the past week, at a combined cost of $17,000, British newspaper The Telegraph reports.
The county’s Fire and Rescue service was forced to dispatch animal rescue expert Anton Phillips along with 12 other firefighters who raced to the scene to find the pony, nicknamed "Shorty", grazing on the marshland where she lives.
"This was the fourth time we have been called out by members of the public who have seen this pony on the salt marsh," Mr Phillips told the Telegraph.
"From 200 yards away it does look like the pony is trapped in mud, especially when it is stood next to New Forest Ponies which are about twice as tall."
Mr Phillps said the public were doing the right thing by calling emergency services if they thought they saw an animal in distress, but that there was nothing to worry about with this particular pony.
The owner of the pony, whose real name is Mayflower, is considering putting a sign near it to tell people there is nothing wrong.
The UK government puts the average cost of a fire crew attending a false alarm at $4200.
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