A PUPPY with its head stuck in bench railings, a cat trapped behind a boiler and a squirrel nestled in the engine bay of a car.

These are just a handful of the unusual animal rescues Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has been called to deal with in the last two years.

According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, 135 animals were rescued between January 1, 2011, and mid-November 2012.

In one incident, crews were called into action when a ten week-old kitten trapped itself under floorboards at a property in Felixstowe.

In another, a whippet puppy got stuck in the railings of a bench. A fire crew from Long Melford was sent to release the mischievous pooch.

Others incidents involved a Labrador locked in the boot of a car, a four-month old pooch with his head stuck between a brick wall and a door, and a kitten with its head wedged in a kitchen unit. A small muntjac deer was also rescued after becoming stuck in railway embankment fencing. A crew from Princes Street fire station was sent to help free the animal.

There wasn’t a happy ending to every animal rescue however – records show firefighters had to abandon attempts to rescue cats from two trees.

The information, released by Suffolk County Council, shows there were 28 animals rescued from water or mud after getting themselves into a spot of bother, 42 rescued from height, and five rescued from below ground. The brigade was also called in eight times to help lift a heavy animal, on five occasions for incidents which involved “animal harm” and for 11 incidents involving trapped animals. A further 36 rescues were categorised as “other animal incident”.

The county council did not reveal the cost of sending crews to incidents because, a spokesman said, the cost would vary according to the amount of time firefighters spent at each rescue.

The spokesman for the county’s fire service said: “The fire service only responds to incidents involving animals when requested by the RSPCA and we do so to ensure members of the public don’t step in to rescue the animals which might in turn put themselves in danger.”

Has your pet been rescued by the fire service? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or send an e-mail to starletters@archant.co.uk