Animal rescuers dealt with more than 100 emergency calls during Storm Dennis, rescuing wildlife caught up in the extreme weather.
The RSPCA’s specialist emergency response teams were scrambled to more than 100 calls over the weekend and continue to respond to animals in need today (Monday 17 February).
RSPCA Inspector Jason Finch, the charity’s national water rescue coordinator, said: “I’ve been at the RSPCA for 20 years and have been running the water team for 10 and I’ve never known anything like this. We’ve been incredibly busy, and our amazing staff have been working round-the-clock to help as many animals as possible.
“We’ve had more than 100 jobs tasked through to our specialist team to assess and have had a number of dramatic rescues. In many cases, we’ve been able to give farmers and owners advice on how to keep their animals safe by moving them to higher land regularly monitoring the water levels. In other cases, we’ve launched boats and water rescue teams to remove animals in serious danger.
“Working during floods and storms is extremely challenging because we have to ensure the safety of our staff, members of the public and the animals themselves.”
In Hampshire, RSPCA animal welfare officer Marie Stevens and specialist equine inspector Rebecca Carter were called to a field near Testwood Nature Reserve, on the outskirts of Southampton on Sunday (16 February) to five horses in flood water.
Marie said: “Members of the public had spotted the horses up to their bellies in water and were concerned as the water levels were rising. We worked together to wade into the water constantly checking the levels. It was a high-risk rescue as there were areas that were so deep we had no choice but to swim.
“We carefully made our way over to the horses who were, understandably, extremely agitated. We managed to get a headcollar and line on one horse, leading her with the others following closely behind an area of higher ground sheltered by some trees.
“We then set up a line across the deepest section and used this to help the first horse across to safety. Members of the public were extremely helpful and help onto her as we guided the second across.”
The horse’s owner arrived as the rescuers were beginning to lose light, making it unsafe for them to continue their rescue mission. The owner decided to rescue the three remaining horses herself.
Marie added: “We would never recommend owners put themselves in danger to rescue their animals, but we can understand how emotional it is seeing your beloved pets at risk. We’re just really pleased we could help these horses and that all five were rescued safely.”
The horses were very cold and were shivering so a vet was called to the scene to check them over before the officers left the scene.
Storm Dennis caused havoc across the country – following last weekend’s Storm Ciara – and hundreds of flood alerts and warnings were in place across the country along with a number of weather warnings.
Specialist RSPCA officers were on standby to respond to emergencies while continuing their regular duties responding to welfare concerns and collecting injured, sick and abandoned animals.
The specialist teams carried out rescues including: 
- In Surrey, officers were called to a flooded field beside the River Wey, in Guildford, after locals spotted a horse trapped on a tiny piece of ground with flood water continuing to rise. Two officers waded across to check the horse and decided he needed moving to safety.
- Another team was dispatched to Water Lane, Ashford, also in Surrey, to check on a number of chickens after their runs and coops become flooded. Officers provided food and rescued six from flooded pens. Whilst there they also checked on horses in a flooded field nearby. The horses could access high ground away from the water, so they were left in situ.
- A swan was injured after Storm Dennis brought down a tree in Conger Lane, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, trapping the bird underneath, in fast-flowing water. Members of the public helped the bird free and RSPCA officers collected him, on Sunday (16 February), and took him to RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, in Norfolk.
- A water rescue team was dispatched to Holme Lacy Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, on Monday morning (17 February) after the River Wye’s banks burst and a number of horses were trapped in a flooded field. The team traced the owners – who had been evacuated from their home – and they will monitor the horses and call if the flooding worsens and the herd needs moving.
- Another team was called to a field in Llandelio, Wales, on Sunday (16 February) to reports of 25 drowning sheep in a field – some of which were believed to have already died. Sadly, only one sheep was pulled from the water alive.
Elsewhere, the RSPCA has also been counting the costs of storm damage, RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre, in West Malling, Kent, was battered by gale force winds. A field shelter was flipped and blown across the fields during Storm Ciara and a second shelter was also blown across the paddock during Storm Dennis.
Both shelters have been damaged and will have to be repaired at a cost to the charity and its insurers.
RSPCA teams continue to work to assess animals trapped in the floods and to carry out high-risk water rescues. The charity has set up an emergency fundraising appeal to help towards the costs of the operation.
