Dog trapped in ironing board among fire service animal rescues

Figures show that Harrogate fire station had the highest number of incidents since 2012, reaching 27 by December last year.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Under the Fire Services Act 2004, we have powers to respond to incidents that cause harm to the environment, and this includes life and health of animals.

“We also attend animal rescues as there’s a risk that if we don’t attend, individuals will attempt to carry out the rescue and put themselves in danger.

“However, we would always ask people to contact the RSPCA in the first instance if they see an animal stuck anywhere. They will then request our help if it’s required.

“We have a crew at Malton who specialise in large animal rescues, such as cows and horses, and have been specially trained on how to handle different species and how to react to animals in distress.”

The most common incident was cats being rescued by firefighters, retrieving the trapped felines from wall cavities, car engines, trees and gates.