Four dogs die in 'devastating' floods after 'absolutely no warning' given to kennels
Four dogs die in 'devastating' floods after 'absolutely no warning' given to kennels
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Four dogs tragically lost their lives after severe floods struck Trafford on New Year's Day. The pets were residing at Manchester Boarding Kennels on Willow Farm in Urmston when the region was hit by a deluge of rain. While most of the dogs at the kennels were safely rescued, four small pups sadly didn't survive after a 'major incident' was declared. Owners Naomi Ewen and Mike Sutherland expressed their devastation over the losses, but also said that they received 'absolutely no warning' about the catastrophic floods from the Environment Agency (EA).
They explained that a staff member checked on the dogs around 6am on Wednesday morning (January 1) and everything seemed 'fine'. However, by 7am, the same staff member alerted them that the river's banks were 'getting high' - and by 7:30, the situation had become critical.
"The banks burst and that's when it went into freefall," Mike told the Manchester Evening News. "We got in the car to come down to the kennels, but we couldn't get across the bridge because the water was so deep.". A local farmer offered assistance with his tractor, enabling the couple to reach the kennels and attempt a rescue. "We struggled to open the doors," Mike continued. "I waded in and tried to get to the small dogs first. But they're the ones that unfortunately didn't make it.".
He revealed that one of the dogs that sadly died belonged to a private customer who he is close friends with, while the other three were rescue dogs housed there by a charity. "It was devastating for me because the three dogs that are rescues I have looked after for a year," Mike shared, before the couple praised the 'fantastic' support from their local community, who helped them rescue most of the 25 pups in their care.
