Cocker spaniel rescued by fire crew after getting head trapped in metal fence

Firefighters rescued a cocker spaniel after its head got trapped in a metal fence.

The eight-year-old dog, fittingly named after the well-known action character Indiana Jones, jumped head-first into an adventure and accidentally lodged his head through the fence when trying to greet passers-by.

Owner Emma Brown and her two children, Oliver, nine, and Rosie, four, had left him to explore their garden in Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, while they removed their muddy wellies after returning from a family walk.

Moments later, a concerned neighbour banged on Ms Brown’s door to let her know Indi was stuck.

“I got a bang on the door from a worried neighbour saying, ‘You better come quick as your dog has got his head stuck in your garden railings’,” Ms Brown explained.

The dog had lodged his head through the fence to greet passers-by but could no longer move his head and became panicked.

Ms Brown said Indi had begun to choke himself as he struggled to get free so she quickly phoned the fire brigade.

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Crews from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene at 11.45am on Saturday 1 October.

They were able to cut a section of the railings surrounding Indi’s head before he was swiftly taken to the local vets.

Indi was then anaesthetised and covered in a fire blanket so the remaining metal could be cut away from his neck safely.

Ms Brown said Indi had done his namesake proud with all his adventures over the years and the character’s name perfectly suited the dog’s daring nature.

“I could write a book about all of Indi’s misgivings as he likes nothing more than to go on doggy adventures around the estate. He’s even got a girlfriend a few doors down,” Ms Brown said.

“At first I just thought it was Indi being Indi, and he’d got into one of his little scrapes. But when I actually realised he was really stuck, pure panic set in. It was quite scary. I was thinking the worst could happen.

“Once Indi started to struggle and get more distressed there was no other way forward, and the fire service seemed like our only hope to free Indi.

“The fire crew were at the house before we knew it. I literally wanted to cry when I saw the fire engine as at this stage the children were also starting to get upset.”

Kevin Williams, manager for Green Watch at Rainton Bridge Community Fire Station, said: “When a pet like Indi becomes stuck and distressed in the manner in which he was, we have to make the welfare of the animal our paramount concern and at the same time trying to reassure the owner of his safety.

“The quick thinking of our firefighters to remove a section of the gate using metal cutters ensured the frightened dog could then be urgently transported to the veterinary surgery for emergency treatment.

“We can’t attend every animal rescue so the RSPCA should be your first port of call. But if we’re nearby and available, we will be on hand to help.”

The delicate rescue operation was successful and Indi was rescued in just over two hours.

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