A dog which became wedged between a wall and a conservatory when she was spooked by fireworks after fleeing home was rescued by firefighters in a three-hour operation.
Taba disappeared via a first-floor window while her owners were out on November 3 and was discovered stuck fast in a six-inch gap at a house half a mile away the following evening, the RSPCA revealed on Sunday.
(RSPCA/PA)
She was only discovered because the homeowner went outside to discover why her cat was behaving strangely, the charity said.
After RSPCA inspector Rachel Smith was unable to free her, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue were called to the house in Watford and hauled her to safety using ropes after she was sedated.
Ms Smith said Taba was lucky to be found at all in the tiny space between two brick walls, after using a conservatory roof at home to make her escape.
(RSPCA/PA)
She said: “Taba, who isn’t a small dog, ran into the gap head-first, possibly because she was spooked by fireworks, but then she got completely wedged. She barely had room to breathe.
“She was so scared and distressed – I was concerned that she was going to wedge herself in even tighter, but I managed to get a hook around her collar and hold her in place while I called the fire service.”
Despite her ordeal, Taba suffered only sore paws and went home after a night at the vet’s.
(RSPCA/PA)
Ms Smith added: “It was obvious that that Taba was distressed and disorientated. We really wanted to get her back to her owner – and thankfully she was microchipped.
“I spoke to her owner, who had been worryingly looking for her after she went missing the night before.”