Cat stuck in a tree or chimp in a chimney

The number of times that the London Fire Brigade get called out to save animals has shot up by almost 60% over the past six years.  The Brigade was called out to rescue 620 animals in 2011 (up from 389 in 2006) or one every 14 hours.  Just over half of the incidents involve cats and around a quarter involve dogs.


In the last few years the brigade has been called out to: 

• Rescue an iguana from a roof in Tower Hamlets in May 2007
• A parrot trapped in its cage in Waltham Forest in January 2008
• A dog stuck in a wheelchair in a flat in Richmond in May 2008
• A puppy with its head stuck in an exercise machine in a house in Hillingdon in April 2008
• A kitten with its head stuck in a jam jar in Lewisham in June 2009
• A rabbit trapped under a sofa in Havering in June 2009
• A kitten with its head stuck in a bongo drum in Newham in October 2009
• Capture a snake at a retirement home in Hounslow in July 2009
• Two dogs in a toilet in Bromley in July 2009
• A chimp in a chimney in Tower Hamlets in January 2010
• An adult hamster trapped in a disabled lift in Greenwich in April 2010
• A squirrel in a toilet in Haringey in May 2011
• A kitten trapped in a reclining chair in Croydon in May 2012

No one wants to see an animal in distress but in the first instance people should call the RSPCA rather than 999.


London Fire Commissioner, Ron Dobson, said: “It is time to dispel the old stereotype about firefighters rescuing cats from trees, our crews are highly trained emergency service personnel. If there is a cat up a tree, or an animal stuck anywhere, the first port of call should always be the RSPCA, not the emergency services. 


“Pet owners need to keep a close eye on their animals in a bid to avoid some of these situations happening. What’s worrying is that when firefighters are out rescuing animals, they’re not available to attend real emergencies.  Each animal rescue costs money and in these tough financial times, many people would question why their taxes are being spent on some of the animal rescues we’ve highlighted today.” 


Klare Kennett, spokesperson for the RSPCA, said: “We’d always advise people to call us in the first instance and if we need help we will call the fire brigade. “If you see a cat up a tree, we’d advise you leave it for twenty four hours before calling the RSPCA as they usually manage to get themselves down. After all, when was the last time you saw a cat’s skeleton up a tree?”