Watch hero firefighters save Horsham dog in dramatic rooftop rescue

A Labrador with ‘incredible balance’ has been rescued by firefighters after climbing onto the roof of a house.
The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.
The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.

The plucky pooch, reportedly called Ruben, prompted the emergency response after clambering through a window onto a three storey town house in Devonshire Road.

Neighbour Claire Oakley, who alerted the fire service to the stricken pup, said: “I looked and oh my god there’s a dog on the roof. It was quite terrifying as it’s pretty high up.

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“We panicked. The dog must have escaped through a window and climbed up to the roof.

“It was horrible. I was worried the dog was going to fall off the roof.

“I was worried it was going to be in front of my children and my neighbours children. The dog was very distressed.”

Claire was alerted to the pooch’s plight by her children.

She added: “I called the emergency services. [They] were exceptional.

The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.
The puzzled pup on the three storey roof.
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“There was no way the dog could actually be brought down without some expert help.

“[The firefighters are] definitely heroes. It was a very unusual sight.”

But this isn’t the first time animals have ventured out onto the roof in Devonshire Road.

Claire added: “Strangely enough [the incident] came a couple of weeks after a falcon was spotted on the roof and then a cat and then a dog so it must be a good street for this sort of event.

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“I’m so pleased that it ended well because I have two dogs and this sort of thing is just heartbreaking.”

The fire service said the call out was a ‘rather unusual rescue’.

Michael Lewin, watch manager of the technical rescue unit, was the officer in charge at the scene.

He said: “It’s not very often we get a call to rescue a dog from the roof of a three storey town house.

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“We are not entirely sure how the dog managed to get out of the property and on to the roof in the first place, or how he didn’t end up falling from that height. He must have incredible balance.”

Michael praised the ‘sense of community’ as neighbours rallied round to help the puzzled pup.

He added: “Luckily one of the neighbours spotted him walking up and down along the roof and gave us a call.”

The fire crew called on the expertise of a new recruit who previously worked as a roofer.

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Michael said: “We were able to come up with a plan to get him back inside the property through a skylight without causing him too much distress.

“Safe to say he was glad to be back indoors with his four paws firmly on the ground.

“We’re hoping he has had his fill of explorations for the time being.”

Video by Charlotte Oakley