Fire crews have busy year for animal rescues

In August, firefighters in Odsal rescued a cat that was stuck down a chimney

Firefighters across West Yorkshire have carried out more than 150 animal rescues this year.

Horses, dogs and cats were among the animals extricated from sticky situations across the county, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

It comes amid rising numbers of operations to save pets, livestock and wildlife across England.

Watch manager Darren Haley, who is part of the technical rescue team at Cleckheaton, said it was a "really interesting part of the job".

"We are called if a horse gets stuck in a ditch or a cow gets stuck in a stream. We have had all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff over the years."

'Pet-loving nation'

Crews have been tested in a variety of situations, from having to dig out a 27-year-old horse that fell into a sinkhole to employing high-tech cameras to pinpoint a curious cat stuck in a chimney.

Mr Haley said it was often a team effort working with vets to keep both the animals and crews safe.

Rescue bids were taken "really seriously", he said, defending accusations that it was not the best use of resources.

"At the end of the day, we are a pet-loving nation. I'm more than happy to go to pet rescues."

In January, Prince the horse became wedged in a hole in Mirfield

Home Office figures show that "animal assistance" incidents hit a 14-year high in the year ending June 2023, with firefighters responding to 6,053 calls.

So far this year, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has carried out more than 150 animal rescues, compared to 153 in 2022 and 164 in 2021.

Mr Haley said people were more aware they could call the fire service for help and rescue teams had developed skills to handle different types of scenarios.

He asked that owners of large animals regularly checked boundaries were secure and urged people to call the fire service rather than trying to rescue their pets from dangerous situations.

"We don't want people to put themselves at that sort of risk. It becomes not just a rescue of an animal but a rescue of people as well."

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