The Vadodara Fire Department yet again proved its mettle in rescuing stranded animals when five firemen saved a stray puppy that had entered an abandoned electric pole lying at Fatehgunj, on Sunday morning.Around 11.20 am, the fire department received a call that a puppy was stuck inside an electric pole in the Sadar Bazaar area. They immediately rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation. “Initially, we thought of using a long bamboo to bring the dog out. This, however, did not work,” said fireman A S Shinde. So, they decided to cut the pole into three parts. “We called up the electricity board to seek permission for this,” Shinde added.They cut the iron pole using an electric saw, and rescued the animal around 1.30 pm after one-and-a-half-hour struggle. “Since five in the morning, we could hear the animal’s yelps, but no one paid much heed to it because we could not locate it,” said Salim Waali, a Sadar Bazaar resident.Later, some children spotted the animal and tried to rescue it. “Someone suggested we should shake the pole vigorously which might work,” said Waali, adding that when all their efforts went in vain, they informed the neighbouring fire station in Wadi Vadi.Fire officials said such animal rescue calls are not rare in Vadodara. “Dogs and cats are careful enough not to get into trouble. However, most calls are about cows and langurs stranded in holes. When it comes to crocodiles, we work with the local crocodile rescue team,” said a fire official.
