As they would say in Newcastle, “Why aye, that’s a canny idea :)”

Trapped dog rescued using ferret

Firefighters in Newcastle have used an electronically-tagged ferret to rescue a dog which became trapped in a rabbit warren on Friday night. Jenny, a four-year-old Lakeland Terrier, had been stuck in the hole in Throckley for eight hours before the ferret found her.

Tyne and Wear Rescue Service used the signal from Freddie the ferret’s tag to locate the dog and dig her out.

Firefighters said the credit for the rescue should go to Freddie, not them.

Freddie belonged to Jenny’s owner, who had fitted a tracking device on to the animal’s collar as a security measure.

Trevor McCarthy, the officer in charge of the rescue, said: “Without a doubt the ferret’s got to be the hero of the hour.

“It is certainly the first extrication of something alive that I have put down to ferrets rather than a special tool we use.”