Rise in animal rescue and stuck object call-outs for Wiltshire's Fire Service
But the emergency service has been dealing with fewer incidents overall
It's been revealed that firefighters in Dorset and Wiltshire attended more incidents involving stuck objects and stranded animals last year - despite an overall fall in call-outs.
Home Office data shows 328 such calls were made to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in the year up to March. That is 22 more than the year before.
Across England, the number of times firefighters were drafted in to help animals increased from 4,724 to 5,159 over the twelve months.
The most common reason was to help a trapped pet, which was quoted in a fifth of incidents attended nationally, closely followed by rescuing pets from a height.
'We're incredibly grateful to crews across England and Wales'
Animal charity the RSPCA said its staff rescues tens of thousands of stuck or trapped animals every year.
Steve Bennett, deputy chief inspectorate officer, said:
"While our staff are trained and equipped to help a lot of them out of trouble, there may be some situations where they need a helping hand to ensure both the rescuers and the animals remain safe.
"We can request the assistance of the fire and rescue service just like any member of the public can do, and we're incredibly grateful to crews across England and Wales who are animal-lovers just like us and will always lend a hand to help an animal in need if they're available".
The number of people requiring help with stuck objects also increased nationally from 5,311 to 5,632.
Two-thirds of incidents saw someone needing help removing a ring, while trapped limbs accounted for 16% of calls.
Overall, Dorset and Wiltshire firefighters attended 13,212 incidents in 2020-21, down from 14,038 the year before.
The most recent figures included 3,358 fires and 3,647 non-fire related incidents. The latter can be related to flooding, assisting people trapped in lifts and road traffic accidents.
'Critical importance that we maintain a well-resourced fire and rescue service'
The National Fire Chief's Council said a drop in the number of incidents nationally, from 558,000 to 518,000, was to be seen in the context of restrictions that were introduced during the pandemic.
Chairman Mark Hardingham said:
“Despite the huge amount of positive and proactive work carried out nationally and locally, incidents, and sometimes very serious incidents, do still happen.
"It is of critical importance that we maintain a well-resourced fire and rescue service to respond professionally and safely to national and local emergencies".