Kennels owners ‘devastated’ as dogs die in severe flooding on New Year’s Day

Four dogs tragically lost their lives in the severe floods that struck Trafford on New Year’s Day. The unfortunate animals were housed at Manchester Boarding Kennels on Willow Farm in Urmston when the region was hit by a deluge.

While most of the dogs at the kennels were safely rescued, four small pups sadly didn’t survive after a ‘major incident’ was declared. Owners Naomi Ewen and Mike Sutherland expressed their devastation to the Manchester Evening News, stating they received ‘absolutely no warning’ about the catastrophic floods from the Environment Agency (EA).

They explained that a staff member had checked on the dogs around 6am on Wednesday morning (January 1) and everything seemed ‘fine’. However, by 7am, the same staff member alerted them that the river’s banks were ‘getting high’, and by 7:30, the situation had become critical.

“The banks burst and that’s when it went into freefall,” Mike recounted. “We got in the car to come down to the kennels, but we couldn’t get across the bridge because the water was so deep.”

A local farmer came to their aid with his tractor, enabling the couple to reach the kennels and attempt a rescue, reports the Manchester Evening News. 

“We struggled to open the doors,” Mike continued. “I waded in and tried to get to the small dogs first. But they’re the ones that unfortunately didn’t make it.”

He revealed that one of the dogs that tragically died belonged to a close friend who is a private customer, while the other three were rescue dogs from a charity.

“It was devastating for me because the three dogs that are rescues I have looked after for a year,” he shared.

The couple praised the incredible support from local residents who banded together to ensure the safety of most of the 25 dogs under their wing. “The pair said they had ‘fantastic’ help from the local community, who assisted them in getting to the dogs and rescuing the vast majority of the 25 pups they had in their care.”

“Some people have taken dogs into their homes, we’ve managed to get most of them in other kennels and they are all safe and well and customers have been spoken to,” Mike explained.

However, Mike and his partner have been left perplexed by the situation, questioning the warnings provided prior to the flooding. “There’s normally a weather alert, but we didn’t have one until four hours after the flood,” Naomi noted with concern, stressing their unpreparedness when the deluge hit unexpectedly early that day.

“We have plans in place in case anything happens – but we rely on weather warnings. This time it happened in 45 minutes without any warning,” she stated, pointing out the inadequacy of the alerts received.

Mike said that despite being in the Navy he had ‘never seen anything like’ the floods in Urmston.”

The couple checked the premises several times before the water levels surged uncontrollably: “We checked in at six o’clock, we checked in at 7 o’clock, and then that was it,” he recalled. “The floodgates opened. And it wasn’t just an inch.”

Determined to find answers, Mike declared, “I have no idea what happened. But we will be asking questions.”

The catastrophic floods resulted in a ‘major incident’ with extreme repercussions throughout Greater Manchester, prompting evacuations of over 1,300 individuals from homes and hotels.

To aid the affected kennels in these trying times, a GoFundMe page has been established for those wishing to offer support. You can contribute by visiting the fundraiser site here. 

An Environment Agency spokesperson exhaustively detailed their efforts during the relentless rainfall, explaining: “Environment Agency teams have been working around the clock over the New Year, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected, including in Greater Manchester.”

They added that a substantial long-term investment was being channelled into nation-wide flood resilience: “More broadly, we are delivering a long-term funding programme of flood defences, investing over £1.25 billion this year to scale up national resilience through building new and improving existing flood defences.”

Highlighting the critical need for accurate information, they stated, “We know providing the nation with the best available information on flood risk is vital to ensuring that policy makers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to flooding.”