Firefighters reveal odd animal rescues!

SUFFOLK: Five ducklings down in a drain, a hamster trapped in a cage and a horse stuck in a bath - just some of the bizarre animal rescue operations that the fire service has dealt with.

Firefighters across Suffolk have been involved in 120 weird and wonderful rescues in the past two years, at a cost of nearly �60,000.

Among them were 11 call-outs to cats up trees, five horses trapped in horseboxes and four cows stuck in ditches.

Perhaps the most unusual rescue was that of a horse who had managed to get its head wedged in a bath.

Luckily for the owner, the horse hadn't managed to trot its way to the bathroom but instead got its head caught while drinking water served in an outside bath.

Gary Phillips, assistant chief fire officer, said: “The horse was taking a drink and got its head stuck in the bath which inevitably caused distress to the animal and to the other surrounding horses.

“We were called by the RSPCA as it's just one of the various roles of a fire officer - we have to do unusual things sometimes.”

Earlier this month, a cow had to be rescued after it became stuck in a muddy stream. Rose, a rare Red Poll cow, had to be hauled out of the water in Rickinghall.

In 2008 the fire service was called to a house in Lowestoft where a young boy's hamster had got caught in a mechanism of its cage.

The child's mother contacted the fire service who provided assistance over the phone but failed to release the animal. A crew was later sent to the house and set the pet free.

In total, 35 cats have needed assistance after getting themselves in a spot of bother, while 14 dogs have gotten into mischief and needed the help of a firefighter.

In Ipswich, many calls were found to be related with birds being caught on roofs.

But in one incident in 2007, services were called to a seagull that had become trapped in an air vent.

Mr Phillips said: “Sometimes it's not just rescuing the animals but it is also about reassuring the public.

“We work very closely with the RSPCA and it's they who assess the situation before calling the fire service out - very often we are involved due to an animal in distress and with Suffolk being such a rural area this happens a lot.”

Has your pet got itself into a scrape? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Some of the animal rescues in Suffolk

Three deer trapped in railings

A Hamster stuck in its cage

12 Horses stuck in ditches

A dog with its leg stuck in a metal table

A cat trapped under floorboards

Seagull trapped in an air vent

A Tawny Owl released from a chimney

11 cats stuck up trees

A pig caught in a drain

A horse with its head stuck in a bath

A cow with its head stuck in a tree and barbed wire