Dog rescue at Esher station (From Your Local Guardian)

Dog rescue at Esher station

11:22am Thursday 29th May 2008 in Elmbridge By Kerry Grove

A small dog has been rescued from a certain death at Esher train station after getting his lead caught inside a moving train.

The Jack Russell would have been dragged along by his neck if it were not for plucky hero Dar Pardon, 18, who snapped the lead with his bare hands, getting first degree burns for his efforts.

The college student was returning from a night out at a Pink Floyd concert in London with his mum and stepdad late on Sunday, May 18, when he saw the dog being dragged along the platform.

It is thought the owner had fallen asleep on the train and the dog jumped off while its lead was still attached inside.

Despite another onlooker's failed attempts to snap the lead and his warnings about friction burns, the teenager leapt into action, grabbing the collar and pulling the nylon lead apart.

After taking the dog back to his home in West Molesey, he was rushed to Kingston hospital for treatment.

It is horrible and it smells like rotting flesh but it was definitely worth it.

Dar Pardon

He said: "It is horrible and it smells like rotting flesh but it was definitely worth it.

"It was nice sitting with the dog afterwards. You could see it was trembling and shaking.

"I didn't think about how much damage it would do. I'm not a really strong person so I'm surprised I did it."

The dog was collected by police and reunited with its owner in Weybridge later that night. Officers, who presumed the dog was dead, had been searching for it along the train tracks.