Pet rescues cost fire service £1m

AN MSP has called on pet owners to “hose” stranded cats out of trees as it was revealed that firefighters in Scotland spent £1 million last year on hundreds of “absurdly wasteful” animal rescues.

The call-outs included a dog stuck in a wine rack, a snake trapped inside a coconut shell and a cat caught down the back of a couch.

Last night, Alex Johnstone, the MSP for North-east Scotland, demanded an end to “trivial” pet rescues and said cats stuck in trees should simply be blasted out by their owners.

He said the public needed to think before calling out the fire brigade. “There’s a traditional way of getting a cat out of a tree without calling the fire brigade – you turn a hose on them.

“There are people who don’t know what the fire and rescue service is for. People need to be more responsible when calling on public services.

Official figures show that Scotland’s eight fire brigades were called out to 368 animal rescues in the past 12 months.

The biggest case in Central involved 15 firefighters and three fire engines sent out in January this year to rescue a dog from an island.

Fife fire brigade also revealed amazing detail of its animal rescues.

These included: a seagull released from TV aerial in Kirkcaldy; a cat released from a window, in North Queensferry; a dog released from fence in Crossford, and a dog released from a storm drain.

Elsewhere in Scotland, Tayside fire brigade admitted scrambling a crew to rescue a snake stuck in a coconut shell. The reptile was freed using a hacksaw. The brigade’s firefighters were also called in to provide lighting for an “owl missing from park”.

Rescues by Highland and Islands brigade included a cat trapped in a recliner couch, and Dumfries and Galloway helped a “dog stuck under a Portacabin”.

Lothian and Borders refused to give details of incidents but confirmed crews of up to six attended 35 animal rescues. Strathclyde also refused to give details but said they carried out 182 animal rescues.

Highland and Islands estimated the cost of each rescue at £2,706, meaning the total cost of animal-related call- outs last year was a staggering £995,808.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance branded the rescues “absurdly wasteful”. Matthew Sinclair, director of the organisation, said: “At times we’ve seen these rescues get absurdly wasteful and that can’t be acceptable with so much pressure on taxpayers.”

Central Scotland fire board, which is responsible for overseeing the activities of the Fire Service and monitoring performance, said it would be looking into the service they provide.

Board convener, Councillor Alan Nimmo, said: “ “We have the responsibility to scrutinise the spending of the services, we will certainly be looking into these concerning figures.”