FROM cows stuck in rivers to cats stuck up a tree, firefighters had to rescue more than one hapless animals from sticky situations every week last year.
Crews were sent to the Kennet and Avon Canal near Thatcham in February last year following reports of an animal stuck in the reed bed.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service upon arrival discovered a heavily pregnant cow stuck in the icy waters and they managed to hoist her out of the water.
Home Office figures show the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 87 animal assistance callouts in 2018-19 – an average of 1.7 rescues per week.
The rescues were among almost 5,000 carried out across England, with crews attending an average of nearly 100 calls every week.
Pet rescues made up the bulk of animal assistance callouts in Berkshire, with 42 incidents.
This was followed by wild animals (33 incidents), with the remainder involving livestock in need.
In April 2019, a cat called Ginger got himself in a pickle after he climbed up a tall tree in Bracknell.
The two-year-old cat was rescued by fire crews when his owner returned home and discovered he couldn't get himself back down.
ALSO READ:Sainsbury's lorry crash cyclist's family seek recompense from the supermarket
While fire and rescue services encourage people concerned about an animal's welfare to contact the RSPCA first, to avoid calling crews out unnecessarily, the animal rescue charity says the assistance of firefighters is a vital help to their officers.
A spokeswoman said: "We work closely with fire and rescue services across England and Wales and are incredibly grateful to them for support helping us rescue animals from tricky situations, as well as carrying out their own animal rescues.
"Unfortunately there are many times where it simply isn't safe for us to rescue animals, such as from heights or if specialist equipment and expertise are required, so collaborative working is vital in these situations to save animals.
"In these circumstances, we will sometimes request the help of firefighters but it's up to them if they attend, and emergencies involving people will always take priority."
READ MORE: Coronavirus updates from schools across Berkshire
Berkshire's firefighters were most commonly needed to free animals who had got themselves wedged in tight spots or entangled, such as in fences or drain covers, with crews attending 43 incidents during the year.
The next most common predicament was animals stuck at height, such as up trees or on roofs, accounting for 28 callouts.
Altogether, in 2018-19 firefighters from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended to:
43 animals trapped or entangled
28 rescues from heights
10 water or mud rescues
Two creatures retrieved from below ground
One heavy animal in need of lifting
Three uncategorised incidents
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here