Sheffield dogs: Distressed cane corso rescued after getting wedged between bars in fence

The poor cane corso was found by a passerby, who heard her crying in Osgathorpe Park, near Pitsmoor, and called the RSPCA for help.

Animal rescue officer Liz Braidley came to the rescue, managed to lift the distressed pooch free and took her to a local vet.

Liz said: “Thankfully she only had a small wound to her leg, but it could have been much worse as the metal fence was very sharp.”

The dog wasn’t microchipped so the charity took her into its care and tried to find her owner, believing she may have run off during a walk.

The dramatic incident, which took place on April 15 this year, was described by the RSPCA as one of its most heartwarming rescue missions of 2024.

The charity’s other top rescue operations this year in the north of England included a swan who landed on the roof of a multi-storey car park; a cat who became stuck on the ledge of a viaduct, 45ft up, in Huddersfield town centre; and a badger who fell 10ft into a disused lime kiln in Shilbottle, Northumberland.

The RSPCA was also memorably called out to help a fox cub who got stuck in an underground drainage pipe in Old Trafford, Manchester; and a sheep who fell into the water on the edge of Kendal, Cumbria, and had to be hauled to safety.

RSPCA chief inspectorate officer Steve Bennett said: “For 200 years the RSPCA’s dedicated and passionate team of rescuers have been helping animals in need.

“We’re here for every kind; but with almost 1 million calls for help every year, we can’t do this alone.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all of the animal-loving members of the public who have helped rescue animals themselves, taken them to vets for specialist care, as well as the other agencies who help save the lives of animals in need, from the fire service to the police to small local rescues!

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“We will always use our specialist skills to help animals when we can and we’re grateful to other agencies for working with us to help animals in need.

“But there are also lots of ways the public can help animals themselves too; after all, the quicker an animal gets help, the better.

“If we all work together, we can create a kinder and better world for all animals.”

For more advice about how to help an animal yourself or how to report to the RSPCA, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern.