Who let the dogs out? It was Red the lurcher

Also Sooty the Lifesaver Cat

By Nic Fleming

With the light fading fast, a lone figure slides back
the steel bolt, tugs open the cell-like door and slips out.

Glancing about to avoid the diminished night-time
security, he moves quickly towards his destination: the kitchen.

But as anyone who has ever had an illicit midnight
feast will know, they are not half as much fun without pals.

Red the lurcher astonished staff at Battersea Dogs'
Home in south London by learning not only to unbolt his
kennel door, but then to liberate his favourite canine
companions to join the fun.

Pix & Video @
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Staff at the animal shelter were baffled when for
several mornings in a row they arrived for work to find
several dogs had escaped and wreaked havoc in the kitchens.

Determined to find the culprit, managers installed
video surveillance on Thursday night.

They saw four-year-old Red reaching up on his hind paws
and using his nose and teeth to undo the bolt securing
the door to his caged accommodation.

Even more astonishing was the sight of him then moving
swiftly from kennel to kennel performing the same trick
to free other dogs.

Becky Blackmore, of Battersea Dogs' Home, said: "We had
come in to chaos in the morning. It happened probably
about a dozen times. We would come in to lots of dogs
out on their block.

"They had had lots of food, lots of fun and games and
caused loads of mess. We weren't too sure what was
going on. There are lots of stories about Battersea
being haunted so we wanted to make sure that there was
an explanation for what was going on and we managed to
catch the culprit.

"It is amazing really because lurchers aren't
particularly renowned for their intelligence."

Staff believed that Red's emaciated state when he was
rescued as a stray in June could explain his
determination to track down food. They are hoping his
new-found fame will help to secure him a new home.

Ξ Rescue services believe a cat saved its owner when a
fire broke out at her home. Evelyne Holloway, 68, of
Kingsclere, Hants, was woken by her 14-year-old cat,
Sooty, scratching her.

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
--
LP

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