Incident 83/2013

At 20.38hrs this evening, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by the GMP Force Duty Officer, to request the teams assistance with the recovery of a large dog, from down a wooded slope on the fringe of the local moors, which had been injured in an RTC.

The dog had been injured much earlier, and the owners had tried without success to seek assistance from a number of agencies to rescue the dog from the bottom of the slope.

With the involvement of a passing GMP patrol, the team was quickly contacted and our Team Leader agreed to lend the teams assistance.

A ‘limited numbers required’ full team call out was paged at 21.05hrs, though already at this time, pre notified by our Team Leader, our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon and very experienced team member Mike Marsh were already on scene.

The dog, an eight month old, male Alaskan Malamute, had been struck by a car, and was found at the bottom of the wooded valley side of High Shores Clough, in the vicinity of Walker Fold Farm, on Walker Fold Road / Colliers Row, Walker Fold, Bolton.

A Vet from Animal Trust on Castle Street, Bolton, attended the scene, arriving with our first team members.

The dog was treated by the Vet for suspected spinal injuries, leg and paw injuries, and was given drugs for sedation and pain relief.

With the arrival of the first of our two responding Land Rover Ambulances at 21.20hrs, the large dog was gently placed onto the split half of our Basket Stretcher, and carried back up the slope to the Vets Estate car for onward transport to Animal Trust on Castle Street, Bolton.

By 21.35hrs we had completed all taskings on scene, and we departed back for home, with most of us suffering from multiple midge bites and nettle stings! (Ah the joys of summer evenings!)

In total fifteen Bolton MRT Call Out list members attended, and two of our Land Rovers.

The two involved GMP Officers were from GMP Astley Bridge Police Station.

Update as of Monday 15t July; Our Team Leader understands from the dogs owner today that the dog has a confirmed spiral leg fracture and possible abdominal injuries.