ONE lucky Dudley dog has been getting plenty of extra cuddles from his relieved family, after he was rescued from a frozen pool by firefighters.

Kelly Warren was walking one-year-old Siberian Husky, Leo around Milking Bank park yesterday morning, when he accidentally ran onto the snow-covered pond and plunged straight into the icy water after falling through the frozen surface.

Mum-of-two, Kelly, aged 29, said: “I had just let Leo off the lead to play with another husky, when next thing I knew he was in the middle of the water. It all happened so quickly and I didn’t have chance to warn him.

“He has never gone in the water before, but there was a layer of snow covering the ice, so you couldn’t tell which was water and land, so he must have just run over it thinking it was still field.”

After realising she was unable to rescue Leo herself, Kelly dialled 999 and within minutes crews from Dudley and Bilston were on scene, before they called for back-up from the service’s water support team who attended with a dinghy.

Kelly, who has had Leo since he was six months-old added: “Leo’s front paws and head were resting on the ice, but his back legs and bottom were underwater. He kept trying to jump out, but the ice was cracking around him and he was making this horrible squealing noise for help.

“He was in the water for about 45 minutes and I was so relieved when they brought him back onto dry land on the boat.”

Kelly and her partner, Kim Sin, aged 37, rushed Leo to the vets, where he was given the all-clear following his ordeal.

His relieved owner added: “I am so grateful to the firefighters who came and helped and incredibly he was fine after being in the water, we were just advised to warm his bottom and back paws with a hairdryer and I don’t think we’ll be taking him back to Milking Bank for a while.

“But I’m just so glad I didn’t have the children with me. There are no barriers around the water so a child could have easily run over it thinking it was still land.”

A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman, said: “If a Siberian Husky can get into difficulties in this weather, then anyone can. This story had a very happy ending - but it could have been much worse.

“There’s no way of knowing the thickness of ice on pools, lakes and other waterways. Please stay off it, and make sure that any children and dog owners you know are aware of the dangers. “