The small town of Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Canada, has been known for producing many NHL hockey heroes: Wendel Clark, his cousin Joey Kocur, Kelly Chase, Barry Melrose, and Kevin Kaminski. Well, now you can add one more hero to that esteemed list: tow truck operator Clint Gottinger.
Heading out for a pair of routine calls near Kelvington, Saskatchewan, on Saturday, April 25, 2026, Gottinger, the owner of Rebel Towing, spotted a young animal struggling in broken ice just outside town. It was a moose.
“I can't leave him,” he recalled thinking. “Everyone has to wait. This is a priority.”
To help the exhausted but still responsive animal, Gottinger maneuvered his truck as close as possible and lowered the deck, planning to use a soft sling to guide the creature out.
“I started wenching and towing. He was kind of helping a bit,” he said. With help from nearby residents, the moose’s hindquarters broke free first, and the group eventually slid the animal safely onto the truck.
Now out of the water by 5:30 PM, Gottinger figured he would take the moose to his home to help it warm up. He explained that he phoned his house ahead of time, opening with a line he never expected to utter: “Bring some blankets out—I've got a moose.”
Gottinger’s wife met him outside, and together they settled the animal onto a pile of blankets. Over the next several hours, Gottinger checked in repeatedly, even offering the moose gentle ear and cheek scratches as it continued to rest.
Around 11 PM, the animal finally stood. “I thought, well, I'll see if I can walk up and scratch his cheek again. But he kind of grunted and put his leg up,” Gottinger said.
The moose lingered near the property through Sunday before wandering off Monday morning, April 27.
Gottinger later shared the story online, naming the moose “Rebel” after his company. “It's a happy story,” he said. “Everyone needs a happy story.”
Rebel Towing is a locally owned towing and recovery company based in Kelvington, serving the region with light‑duty and roadside assistance services. The company is known for its community involvement and hands‑on approach to emergencies. If you need a tow or moose rescue, you probably couldn’t go wrong by contacting the company at www.rebeltowing.com.