Late in the afternoon, of Friday 13th March, the surgery received a call from a very worried owner whose elderly pony was stuck in a ditch.  The fire brigade were in attendance and needed veterinary assistance to get poor Bella out of her predicament!

Fortunately Clare was not far away and arrived to find Bella in a rather tricky situation.  It appears that she had been reaching over the fence for some grass, and slipped into a newly dug ditch.

Bella was quickly sedated to keep her calm and safe, and shortly after she was pulled free of the ditch using special harnesses.

The ordeal was a bit much for Bella, at the ripe age of 30, and she took a little while to recover.  As the night was drawing in and the temperature dropping, the fire brigade fitted lifting straps, and with the help of a neighbour with a tractor, she was lifted and carried back to her stable.

Once in her stable, Bella enjoyed a feed and warmed up quickly.  She was back on her feet in a couple of hours, a little sore but none the worse for her ordeal!  She is now back out in the sunshine enjoying the grass.

Rescues like this would not be possible without the specialist Animal Rescue crews at the Fire Service who are able to work with vets trained in animal rescue to ensure a safe and successful rescue.  For all your emergency needs our lines are open 24/7 - 01363 772860.