Dulwich: Goldendoodle rescued from icy lake by firefighters

Firefighters have rescued a dog after it got stranded in a lake in southeast London.

Ponzo, the goldendoodle was thought to have been chasing something when she ran into trouble after running onto the icy lake in Dulwich Park on Friday morning.

She managed to swim to the safety of an island in the middle of the lake before her worried owner rang the Brigade for help, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

Firefighters arrived on scene and after breaking through the ice, they were able to paddle out in one of the Brigade's inflatable boats to rescue stranded Ponzo and bring her to safety.

LFB said it was called to Friday's incident at 8:21am and crews from Forest Hill, West Norwood, Lewisham and Croydon attended the scene.

Station Commander Pat Ackroyd, who was at the scene, said: "The owner absolutely did the right thing by calling us out. The ice was really thick and crews had to work hard to smash through it to create a path for the boat to reach Ponzo.

"Once rescued, she was checked over and wrapped in a blanket before being given back to her grateful owner.

"This incident highlights the dangers of keeping dogs off leads near water, particularly in these freezing temperatures."

The RSPCA warned dog owners to keep their pets away from frozen lakes, ponds and rivers.

RSPCA Pet Welfare Specialist Dr Sam Gaines said: "Our advice at the RSPCA is to keep dogs away from frozen ponds, lakes or rivers which can pose a danger and make sure their paws do not get impacted with snow.

"It is best to walk dogs away from frozen water or keep them on the lead if it’s unavoidable. If your dog ventures onto the ice, never follow them onto it, instead call them to come back to you right away, but if they get stuck call fire and rescue services for help.

"Owners should never try to risk rescuing their pet themselves as they could get themselves into a dangerous situation."