Rescue of a land animal from water, ice or unstable ground

Many of the control measures for carrying out water rescues for people can be applied when rescuing a land animal from water, including:

• Water rescue – Check water and tidal conditions
• Water rescue – Cordon controls: Water rescue
• Water rescue – Effective communications: Water rescue
• Water rescue – Safety officers: Water rescue
• Water rescue – Hierarchy of risk (Rescue formula)
• Water rescue – Personal protective equipment: Water rescue
• Water rescue – Safe entry into the water
• Water rescue – Initiate firefighter emergency: Water rescue

It may be possible to rescue smaller animals with a reach option, using specialist equipment such as nets or graspers. Personnel and other emergency responders should exercise extreme caution when trying to get an animal, such as a dog, into a boat; suitable restraint and containment equipment should be used at all times.

By using inflated hoses, throwlines or other means, large animals, such as equines and bovines, can be driven or guided towards their herd, higher ground or another place of safety. This may need to be done if there are multiple animals in a flood situation, where it may not be feasible to rescue each animal. Equines and bovines will require a shallow incline to exit water, but may have to be extricated using manual manipulation or mechanical techniques.

If an animal has walked onto ice and fallen through it into water, it may be necessary to form a channel to use as a rescue path, using ice-breaking equipment. Carrying this out prior to attempting a rescue will help personnel and other emergency responders trying to lead or herd the animal to a place of safety.

The control measure for carrying out rescues of people from unstable ground can be applied for rescuing a land animal from unstable ground. For further information refer to Search, rescue and casualty care – Rescue of a casualty from unstable ground.

If carrying out an animal rescue on or near unstable ground, including mud flats or sand, the provision of rescue paths for access and egress needs to be carefully planned and implemented.

Before extricating the animal from water, ice or unstable ground, check that it is not entangled below the surface. Its limbs should be checked, to ensure they are not in an unexpected position. Failure to do these checks before moving or lifting the animal could result in further injury to it.

Caution should be exercised when using tools to extricate an animal, especially as they may be numbed by the temperature of the water, ice or unstable ground they are submerged in. This means they may not react to the impact of tools being used to extricate them, which could result in serious injury to the animal.

If the animal has been entangled, the control measure Remove animal from the cause of entanglement should be considered.

Pre-release consideration

If access to the animal is gained and before it is released, the control measure Determine an appropriate rescue route and destination for the animal should be considered.