A tiny six-month-old Jack Russell puppy was left feeling rubbish – after getting her head stuck in a metal bin lid.
Amari, from Chopwell, Gateshead, had the biggest shock of her short life and needed to be sedated while firefighters cut her free from the metal lid.
Owner Lesley Clark said the lid had come from an incinerator bin which had flown across her garden during windy conditions.
Her dog had then gone to investigate but ended up getting caught in the lid’s small central hole, which could not be taken off by either Ms Clark or a local team of vets.
Amari’s owner descried the ordeal as ‘traumatic’, but thankfully the canine wasn’t hurt and ‘never stopped wagging her tail’ while being cut out of the lid by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service.
Amari, six-month-old Jack Russell, needed to be sedated while firefighters cut her free from the metal lid
Ms Clark said: ‘It was so traumatic as it just wouldn’t budge and I couldn’t manoeuvre Amari out as it was too tight, but the whole time she was wagging her tail.
‘The teams from Westway and the fire and rescue were absolutely fantastic. I certainly don’t have any more bin lids in the garden and I just want other owners to be aware of what can happen.’
After Amari was taken to Westway, vet Tom Yalland and veterinary nurses Tyler Brady and Hannah Cameron tried to ease her free.
However, despite the puppy loving the attention, this didn’t work so the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service were called.
The veterinary team then sedated Amari and kept her calm while she was cut out.
The team at Westway Vets tried to ease her free, but ended up having to call Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service to cut her out
Now the Westway Vets team wants to raise awareness about the dangers of garden equipment to pets.
The practice has previously seen a cat with a plastic pipe around its neck and a dog with a metal clip hooked to its paw, staff said.
Veterinary nurse Hannah said: ‘We couldn’t quite believe our eyes when Amari came in wearing the incinerator bin lid as when her owner called the practice we at first assumed it was perhaps a plastic kitchen swing bin.
‘Jack Russells are such a curious breed and love getting into mischief as they are so inquisitive. We would encourage owners to be cautious about incinerator bin lids in case this happens to their dog.
‘It was a great team effort between ourselves and three members of the fire and rescue team. We were able to keep Amari still and calm under sedation while they worked on freeing her with the metal cutters.’