'Very, very, very lucky dog' rescued from busy Sheffield rail lines after running up tracks from train station

A "petrified" young Spaniel saved from busy rail lines in Sheffield had a "very, very lucky" escape, the heroic team behind his rescue have said.

Benny, a young Cockerpoo from Sheffield, was beckoned to safety after a tense rescue operation just metres from the busy rail lines between Meadowhall and Sheffield Station.

Glen Dent, a volunteer for K9 RSQ who spent four hours working with drone pilot Erica Hart to bring Benny to safety, said: "When this one came in and we knew the dog had got onto the lines, I said to Erica 'this is not going to end well'."

Benny had slipped his lead whilst at Sheffield Station with his owners after he was spooked by an electronic gate. He'd bolted, heading down the live tracks to the north.

Due to the direct line of travel between Sheffield Station and the old Attercliffe Road station, Glen had suggested they start around there, as there was places nearby for Benny to potentially get off the tracks there. This "lucky guess" as Glen described it, turned out to be crucial.

Erica Hart's two drones had just one battery left each, giving them limited time to survey the dense undergrowth in the area.

After more than an hour of searching with the drones' thermal cameras, Benny was spotted amongst the brambles.

"It's a relief to know you've seen the dog and it is alive," Erica told The Star, "but then we need to start thinking about how we're going to get to the dog."

Benny had taken refuge in the undergrowth just metres away from the main rail lines between Sheffield Station and Meadowhall. His proximity to the tracks meant it would be impossible to reach him safely, without risking him running away onto the lines.

Both Glen and Erica were quickly making calls, to Benny's owner, to get them to the scene; to Network Rail, to close the lines whilst Benny was rescued; and to Thessco Steel, who owned the land adjacent to the lines.

Glen said: "A security guy let us into the steelworks, but the dog was on the other side of the fence.

"We decided to dig a hole under the fence, big enough for Benny to get through."

Network Rail's Mick Charlesworth helped the rescue efforts by closing the rail lines. Now, with Benny's owner, Sebastien on the scene, it was time to get Benny to safety.

Following the instructions from Glen and Erica to the letter, Sebastien beckoned Benny over calmly. The K9 RSQ teams hid away behind vans and other vehicles nearby, so the terrified dog could only see the familiar face of his owner.

With a bit of patience and calm, Benny finally made it underneath the fence and was back in Sebastien's arms again.

"It was elation," Glen said. "The dog was petrified and probably had some near misses with trains, though we can't confirm that."

"It is priceless," Erica added. "Seeing a dog be united with its owner, who is in tears. That dog is everything to them. It's not just a dog, it's family."

Benny seemingly defied the odds to make it off the lines alive, with both Erica and Glen describing him as a "very lucky dog". Glen said the rescue operation took the pair four hours, before Benny was brought to safety.

"It's like getting a 180 at the darts," he added. "It's incredible. It was a very good result."

Both Glen and Erica work as volunteers with K9 RSQ, whose equipment is funded entirely through donations.