Firefighters battled to save run over dog

1:24pm Sunday 18th May 2008

FIREFIGHTERS battled in vain to save the life of a dog that had been run over.

Tara, a Jack Russell and a terrier cross dashed in front of a moving car in Manchester Road East, Little Hulton, on Friday evening.

When a passing fire crew saw what had happened they stopped to help, giving the 18-month-old pup oxygen and bandaging her wounds.

Tara's owner, Jeannie Jepson, was babysitting her grandsons, nine-year-old Jack, and 13-year-old Andrew. The boys decided they wanted to go to McDonalds nearby.

But, as they were leaving the house, Tara spotted another dog across the busy road and dashed through a gap in the hedge after it.

She was hit by a car, the driver of which braked immediately, but she was trapped under a front wheel and dragged several metres, while the family looked on in horror.

Mrs Jepson, aged 85, said: ""The driver tried to stop but she was stuck under the wheel. There was some passers by who stopped and lifted the car so I could get her out.

"She was very quiet but she was shaking."

A fire crew from Farnworth were travelling down the road, having dealt with another incident and saw a crowd gathered on the side of the road.

They stopped, thinking a child had been hit.

Mrs Jepson said: ""The fire brigade were fantastic. They phoned the PDSA, sorted out the traffic and even moved the crowd. They even cleaned the road afterwards.

"They were really professional and really calmed the situation."

Tara was taken away by pet ambulance to a vet practice in Wardley. She was later transferred the RSPCA at Eccles where she had to be put down because her injuries were so severe.

Crew Commander John Duffin said: "We were on our way back from another job and saw a crowd of people. We thought someone had been run over. When we realised it was a dog we just did what we could to help.

"We deal with unexpected circumstances all the time and have first aid training which we use in many varied circumstances but not usually on dogs."