This is the moment Spanish cops give an adorable dog that got lost during the volcanic eruption on La Palma a drink of water and a pet having saved its life.
The Spanish National Police wrote on Twitter yesterday, 1st November, that they had successfully rescued ‘Nemo’ the dog who had got separated from its owners during the volcanic eruption on the Island of La Palma in Spain.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island has been wreaking havoc since it first started to spew lava and ash into the sky on 19th September.
According to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, an EU programme that monitors natural disasters, the eruption has so far resulted in the destruction of 2,183 buildings and burnt 911.6 hectares (2253 ac) of land.
The news site Diaro de Avisos reports that Nemo was found disoriented and lost on the island by the police officers.
They quickly grabbed a bottle of water, as can be seen in the footage, and gave the dehydrated dog a much-needed drink.
According to the police statement, Nemo was taken to the vet for a check-up which confirmed he had not suffered any major injuries and the dog expected to be reunited with its owners shortly.
Nemo was not the first pet to find itself in sticky situations as a result of the eruption with numerous pets lost or abandoned due to the chaos caused by La Cumbre Vieja.
The local animal rights organisation Leales.org shared footage with Newsflash that they claim shows a dog running around in circles in what appears to be a small concrete water tank that had become surrounded by magma.
Police officers rescue a dog in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. (@policia/Newsflash) 
Police officers rescue a dog in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. (@policia/Newsflash)
Leales.org has been calling on the local government to do more to save the animals with one plan involving drone delivered water followed by a rescue mission once conditions have improved.
Leales.org told Newsflash today, 2nd November, that so far no rescue operation has been mounted and they have identified several other pets on rooftops that have been abandoned.
Animal rights organisations have stated that they are overwhelmed by the number of abandoned pets they are having to take in as they have been left behind by residents fleeing the island.
No more details on Nemo’s breed, age or owners were given by the police.
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Story By: Peter Barker, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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