Jaws of life used by police rescue unit to free dog stuck in railings

A visitor to playground in Queens Park, Sydney, Australia, bit off more than he could chew while taking a Friday morning stroll. The Shih tzu cross named Butch had clearly eaten more for breakfast than usual and found himself stuck in the bars of the children’s playground after attempting an ambitious squeeze.



Team leader of ranger services at Centennial Parklands, Doug Cotton said they received a call from Butch’s terrified owner at about 10.25am. “It is in one of the off leash areas I think he was just trying to get in to play with the kids,” Mr Cotton said. “He wasn’t stressed at all, he was there for about 20 minutes.



“He just got his head through but then got stuck at the rib cage and couldn’t go backward or forward.” After rangers unsuccessfully attempted to wrangle him out of the bars the big guns were called in. A NSW Police Rescue Unit arrived and needed to use the jaws of life to cut their four-legged friend free.



“I have never seen anything like this before, I have had lots of situations including rescuing birds from drains and freeing trapped eels, but nothing like this,” Mr Cotton said. “It was different that’s for sure.” He said the police were just as amazed that the trapped dog had managed to get himself so stuck.