An appeal for help with a stranded cow brought police and fire crews to the 12300-block of Colebrook Road Saturday night.
Surrey Fire Service’s assistant Chief Steve Robinson said Engine 11 firefighters and a trio of Surrey RCMP officers – including a supervisor – worked for 90 minutes to free the bovine, which was found stuck up to its neck in a mud-filled ditch.
Robinson said the team, which arrived around 10 p.m. Saturday, “spent a fair amount of time” digging mud out from around the cow. They dug deep enough to insert lumber for the cow to get its footing on, then secured a sling around the animal to help it walk out.
“It was a good example of emergency services working together,” Robinson said. “RCMP and firefighters, they were all digging in the mud to get this cow out of there.
“It’s a great story.”
According to police, an area resident flagged down an officer to report the situation. At the time, the animal had apparently been stuck for at least two hours.
The cow was exhausted by its ordeal, but uninjured.
Robinson said Surrey fire crews receive such reports “every once in a while.”
And while the city does not have a dedicated animal-rescue unit, the calls are treated “very seriously,” he said.
“The bottom line is, the cow was unharmed and is back doing whatever cows do,” Robinson said.