Hundreds of pets have been rescued by the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service over five years, figures from the Home Office show.

Between April 2012 and March 2017, the service rescued 708 animals. They included 343 pets, 209 livestock and 156 wild animals, including birds.

Across England, there were over 23,000 callouts to save animals over the five-year period - an average of more than 4,500 a year.

Although the data does not state which animals were most commonly rescued, a previous Freedom of Information request showed that for many fire services, cats stuck up trees remained the most common animal rescue scenario. Animals being trapped was the most common reason for animal-related callouts in Dorset and Wiltshire between April 2012 and March 2017, accounting for 37% of cases. Other reasons included animals being stuck in water or mud or rescued from a height, or calls for assistance with lifting heavy animals.

On average, more than five firefighters dealt with each animal rescue. A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said that fire services often use the incidents for training purposes.

She said: “The RSPCA works very closely with the emergency services and the charity is always very grateful for any help it receives from them.

“Last year the RSPCA was called to collect or rescue 114,584 animals. In situations where officers are unable to reach an animal that is trapped or injured, the animal charity can request the help of the fire and rescue service, though it is entirely up to them whether or not they attend. Some fire crews use animal rescues for training, but emergencies involving people will always take priority. In some cases, crews attend to minimise the risk of members of the public attempting to carry out rescues themselves and potentially putting themselves in danger.”