From rabbits in sofas to dogs in trampolines: Firefighters' unusual animal rescues
A cat stuck up a tree - the common perception most people will come to when they think of firefighters and animal rescues.
But the four-legged animal up a tree is just one of hundreds of different rescues that take place.
These include a goose trapped in a roof, a rabbit stuck in a sofa and a cat with a head lodged in a bin.
West Midlands Fire Service was called to 90 animal rescues in the nine months from March to July last year - many of which were in the Black Country.
They include a kitten with its head stuck in the drainage hole of a communal bin at a home in Walsall.
Fire crews cut either side of the drainage hole with a blade before bending the steel of the bin back to free the kitten, named Dusty.
Then, last April, poorly dog Pepper had to be rushed to the vets after a trampoline spring got stuck in one of her legs.
Crews from Oldbury fire station had to cut the coil but leave it attached to the leg of two-year-old Pepper.
The service does not have an animal rescue unit, but members of its technical rescue team are trained to a high level in animal rescues.
The service has specialist lifting equipment for large animals and a horse mannequin for training purposes.
Technical Rescue Team Watch Commander Phil Sharp said the most challenging rescues were those involving horses.
He said: "We always a approach a horse with extreme care. For example, a horse stuck in mud may be tired and exhausted, and the owner may say it is 100 per cent safe.
"But as you get close you realise this is a wild animal which if fighting for its life."
Watch Commander Sharp said crews dealt with some incidents for public safety.
He said: "When you have a seagull stuck in fishing lines above a pond people feel guilty for not doing anything, so it is then we actually step in for public safety."
It has not charged a member of the public for an animal rescue for more than three years.
A spokesman said: "We always consider our involvement in animal rescues very carefully.
"We work closely with the RSPCA to understand each other’s main responsibilities, to help us make informed decisions and to respond to incidents appropriately.
"Incidents that don’t involve fire or a risk to human life might not be assessed as an emergency, and we may charge for responding to some non-emergency calls.
"Small animal rescues are the responsibility of the RSPCA, who should always be the first port of call."
