Dog disappears in Sheffield badger sett for SEVEN hours

Plug the terrier was out walking with his owner in Mosborough last Saturday morning when he vanished at around 8am.

Animal charity RSPCA inspector Sandra Dransfield said Plug's owner could hear him down a hole next to a field of crops, but couldn't see him.

She said: “We suspected it was a badger sett which is legally protected. He called us for assistance and we advised him to keep calling and use some smelly, tasty treats to try to encourage the little terror out.

“I went to the scene to establish whether the hole was an active badger sett, which it clearly was, and explained that there are rules around interfering with setts.

“His owner briefly left the scene to return home and get some more treats and while I was chatting to a colleague and fellow wildlife officer about the situation, a nose popped out of the hole!”

By this point, Plug had been underground for seven hours and Sandra was keen to get him back above ground.

“He disappeared again but, with lots of calling and yummy treats, he thankfully came back to the surface and the cheeky little terrier poked his head out,” she said.

“I managed to grab him and check him over. He was very dirty and had a puncture wound to his muzzle as well as a few fleas but, luckily, he was otherwise fine.

“I called his owner and he immediately returned and was thrilled to have Plug back safe and sound. He was very relieved and took him to the vets for treatment for the wound.”

Badgers are protected and so are the setts where they live, as stated under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Prison sentences of six months and unlimited fines can be issued if anyone is found guilty of offences including intentionally capturing, killing or injuring a badger, or damaging, destroying or blocking access to their setts.

It is also illegal to deliberately send or intentionally allow a dog into a sett.

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