Dog rescued from river

On 8th March, Firefighters rescued a women from a fast flowing river in Loughton. Crew Manager Glenn Jackson, Loughton Fire Station, said:"The woman was walking her dog along the river when the dog jumped in the water. The woman got in the water to try and reach her dog but got into trouble and couldn't reach the dog or get herself out again.” "Like most of these incidents, the dog was fine and managed to get out of the river relatively quickly, but the women couldn't get herself out as the banks were very steep. The Water was around 5ft deep so came up to her neck and it was quite fast flowing.” "Other dog walkers saw the woman in distress and tried to help her by holding onto her and pull her up the bank, but they were unsuccessful.”

"By this time the women and the helpers were absolutely exhausted, so after 30 minutes of trying to help her called 999. "When we turned up we immediately prepared our Swift Water Rescue equipment and rescued the women. She was freezing cold and exhausted so was taken to hospital.”

"We can not stress this message enough - if you see someone in water please call 999 immediately.”

"Being in cold water is extremely dangerous especially for this length of time and the outcome could have been very different. Over 700 people drown in the UK every year - that's more deaths than in fires or cycling incidents so we want people to take note of our warning and to take extra care around water and always call 999 immediately. If you see someone in trouble in water, call out to the person to reassure them that help is on the way, encourage them to keep still, as if possible find something that floats for them to hold onto.” "If you have a dog that gets into trouble in water, never put yourself at risk by getting in the water to try and rescue them." Source: Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

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As a village of dog owners, it will come as no surprise that in a recent research study, more than nine out of ten dog owners EVENTS(95%) say their four-legged friend has been critical in helping them deal with the stress of the COVID-19 lockdown. However, this new study also revealed that canines have felt the pressure of the pandemic themselves with 37% of British owners claiming their pets have experienced stress as a result of restrictions.

The survey of more than 1000 British dog owners, for DogsPlanet.com, gives an insight into how critical dogs have been to people’s mental health over the last 12 months.

Rémi Andrivet, founder of DogsPlanet.com, said owning a dog had clearly helped people deal with the loneliness and isolation that has come from lockdown restrictions.

He said: “The results of this survey are yet more proof that dog truly is ‘man’s best friend’.

“Perhaps it’s no surprise that people have sought comfort and friendship from their dog but for 95% of people to say that their pet has helped them deal with the stress of the pandemic is incredible. This just shows how critical dogs are to people’s wellbeing – particularly at a time of crisis.

“What was more surprising though was to learn that the animals themselves were affected by the intensity of the last year. It’s no secret that dogs are very sensitive animals so they have clearly picked up on the stress of the lockdown.”

The survey also revealed that owners were reluctant to put their dog’s health at risk during lockdown with just 17% of people cancelling or rescheduling a visit to the vet.

Dogs may also be affected as children return to school and people leave the house more to return to work or to go shopping. Please remember that your dog has got used to you being at home, and you may need to consider this in your plans as lockdown eases.