The RNLI has revealed an increase in the number of our furry friends it plucked from the seas in 2022.
Man’s best friend made up the majority of the 209 creature callouts last year with the charity recording 164 dog rescues.
But there were also some surprises on the list of animals saved — in 2022 the charity was called upon to rescue 27 dolphins, two deer, a rabbit and even a snake.
The news coincides with this week’s launch of the paperback of Saved from the Waves, which is filled with first-hand accounts of dramatic animal rescues and takes the reader on a journey with volunteer lifeboat crews as they face the dangers of the sea to save beloved pets, wildlife and livestock.
From dramatic and heart-rending dog rescues and a walrus that made a lifeboat station his home, to saving a stranded cat on the River Thames and a seal pup caught between rocks, the book demonstrates how RNLI crews stop at nothing to save lives.
The book shines a light on the necessity of animal rescues, not only to save the animals at risk of drowning but to prevent people putting themselves in danger when trying to rescue their furry friends.
The paperback edition goes on sale at the RNLI online shop and all good bookshops from Thursday 13 April, with royalties from all sales supporting the charity that saves lives at sea.
