All dog wants after 60 hours trapped underground is a belly rub

Fire crews spent almost five hours digging around the badger set to rescue the stuck pup (Picture:  Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service)
Fire crews spent almost five hours digging around the badger sett to rescue the stuck pup (Picture: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service)

Wouldn’t you want a lot of attention after being starved of it for 60 hours?

Winston the dog was certainly showered with affection – and presumably a lot of doggy shampoo – after he was stuck in mud for nearly three days. The pet plummeted down a badger sett in the Diamond Jubilee Wood, in Leicestershire, on Saturday after he clearly bit off more than he could chew. His untimely descent came as he was out enjoying a walk with his owner Helen Peake.

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The hole had been almost entirely hidden by a holly bush.

Heather raised the alarm but Winston’s rescue proved difficult, as badger setts are heavily protected by law.

She reached out to various authorities in vain until good news came this Tuesday when fire crews began work with the RSPCA to save the trapped spaniel.

Firefighters used specialist equipment to reach Winston and listened to his muffled barks to pinpoint exactly where to dig.

Leicestershire firefighters rescue dog trapped in underground badger den for almost three days A dog which was trapped underground in a badger's den in Coalville for almost three days has been rescued by Leicestershire firefighters. The dog's distressed owners called the emergency services around midday on Tuesday (1 March) after their pet crawled into the badger sett and was reported to have been trapped in the mud for sixty hours. Helped by the RSPCA, the fire crews had to listen for the dog's barking to that they knew where to dig. They say they also used specialist listening and locating devices and reinforcements were called in to help with the digging.
Winston raises his head above the mud as rescuers clear the mud (Picture: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service)

Create Your Own Doggie First Aid Kit. You never know when an accident might happen so it’s recommended to have a first aid kit on hand just in case. Here’s a great list of basic items a pet first aid kit should have.

Leicestershire firefighters rescue dog trapped in underground badger den for almost three days A dog which was trapped underground in a badger's den in Coalville for almost three days has been rescued by Leicestershire firefighters. The dog's distressed owners called the emergency services around midday on Tuesday (1 March) after their pet crawled into the badger sett and was reported to have been trapped in the mud for sixty hours. Helped by the RSPCA, the fire crews had to listen for the dog's barking to that they knew where to dig. They say they also used specialist listening and locating devices and reinforcements were called in to help with the digging.
The spaniel had got lodged between the badger sett and hard mud (Picture: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service)
Leicestershire firefighters rescue dog trapped in underground badger den for almost three days A dog which was trapped underground in a badger's den in Coalville for almost three days has been rescued by Leicestershire firefighters. The dog's distressed owners called the emergency services around midday on Tuesday (1 March) after their pet crawled into the badger sett and was reported to have been trapped in the mud for sixty hours. Helped by the RSPCA, the fire crews had to listen for the dog's barking to that they knew where to dig. They say they also used specialist listening and locating devices and reinforcements were called in to help with the digging.
Once free, Winston was full of love for the army of rescuers (Picture: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service)

They also used specialist listening and locating devices to find him, and fire crews then called in reinforcements to help with the digging.

The rescue had to be carried out slowly to avoid the sett collapsing in on the trapped dog.

Weary Winston was handed to RSPCA officers for a health check and was reunited, most importantly, with his delighted owner.

He immediately rolled onto his back for a belly rub once he was returned to his number one human.

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Posting on Facebook, Helen wrote: ‘It’s been the weekend/early week from hell but oh well he’s safe and sound back with us and that’s all we care about.’

The crews reported no other animals were found at the scene, suggesting the badger den is inactive.

Winston isn’t the only spaniel with a penance for adventure this year.

Reggie, just 11 months old, tumbled down a 22ft crevice on a mountain in Wales in January. Rescue teams worked late into the night to save the dog with ropes and specialist equipment.

Be realistic. Unrealistic goals will only prevent you from growing. There are two common mistakes a dog owner can make that will slam the brakes hard on any potential progress you might be hoping for. First, the expectations we place on our dogs and ourselves. The misguided belief that your dog “should” be performing or responding at a certain predetermined level. Another mistake many owners make is having unrealistic assumptions. Many of us assume that our dog understands what we want and that he knows what we’re asking of him. As if that wasn’t bad enough, some of us assume that the dogs failure to perform means he’s either rebelling, stubborn, or just plain stupid.

Owner Leah Davies described her brave pup as a ‘true little warrior’ following the ordeal.

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