Britse dierenbescherming redt honderden dieren in door overstromingen getroffen Cumbria, Lake District

RSPCA saves hundreds of animals from Cumbria

floods

23-11-2009 By Kelly Eve, News & Star, UK

THE RSPCA’s national water response team have helped save the lives of hundreds of animals and their owners in Cumbria.

Together: A dog is returned to its owner Residents are reunited with their pets which were rescued by RSPCA officers after being stranded for two days in Cockermouth, Cumbria, where flood water has receded after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 21, 2009.

In their biggest-ever rescue operation, 60 of the charity’s 80 swift water responders. They then spoke to people in rescue centres to draw up lists of missing pets before going back out to search for them. Around 50 animal rescues were carried out.

Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate, said: “It’s the first time that we’ve had the whole of our national team on standby and deployed 60 of them.
“Our officers are trained to levels of fire and rescue services, which means we work with other emergency services to rescue people. When we passed that critical phase we went to the refuge centres to talk to people who’d been forced to leave. With their permission we went back into their homes to recover their pets.

“There’s a couple, Mr and Mrs Parks, at the Sheep and Wool Centre, who we’d rescued from their first-floor flat. We went back to get their two cats and while we were there we got a call to asking if we could pick up Mr Parks’ slippers as he has feet problems. So as well as reuniting them with their beloved pets, he’s also got his slippers! Seeing the look on the faces of the pets as well as the owners makes it all worth while.

Joy: Liz Fitton is reunited with her dog, Molly, rescued by RSPCA officers, Cumbria, where flood water has receded after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 21, 2009.

The centre delightfully broke the rules of not letting animals in because they’ve got individual rooms so we’ve been able to reunite the Parks with their cats. After your home, possessions and loved ones, it is your pets that are important to you.”

“It has not been a bad event in terms of livestock as far as we know because the nature of the area means that animals have been about to get to high ground,” Mr Wass said.

(Bron: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/)
(Bron foto's: News & Star)