Firefighters came to the aid of a poorly pooch in Salford last night when the dog became trapped in an electric reclining armchair.
A crew from Eccles were called to Tennyson Road in Swinton after an RSPCA animal welfare officer found the seven-year-old female Lasha Apso, called Cagney, in distress at around 9.30pm on Thursday, October 30.
Cagney’s owner, Lyn Kirkwood, said: “It was horrendous. My husband’s carer came round and she usually barks, but she was quiet.
“I looked in all the rooms and couldn’t find her anywhere, then all of a sudden I heard a whimper and we found her stuck in the chair.
“We called the fire service and the RSPCA and we had three firefighter with tools trying to get her out. When they freed her she just walked off as if nothing had happened.”
Watch Manager Dave Minto led the effort to rescue Cagney. He said: “Cagney had been stuck in that position for an hour.
“The dog was quite distressed when we arrived, but when she saw the crew Cagney quietened down and just sat there in total silence.
“We isolated the electric supply to the chair and took the mechanism apart – freeing Cagney after about half an hour.”
RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer, David Hatton, added: “The dog had managed to get herself well and truly wedged in the chair.
“She was stuck head first in the mechanism, with just her back legs sticking out.”
“The fire service were brilliant. They were able to dismantle the metal frame until she could free herself. It was a careful process, but luckily we were able to get her out uninjured.
“She seemed pretty unfazed by the whole thing, she just wandered off for a drink and came and sat by her owner. It was definitely a first for us though!”
Cagney was left in the care of her owners and the RSPCA. She has made a full recovery from her ordeal.
