For forty years, from 1936, the R.S.P.C.A. London Night Emergency Service became the city's unofficial fourth emergency service.

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These heroes of the night, operated from the basement of the Society's headquarters in Piccadilly performing countless dangerous rescues, collecting injured animals from the streets, treating injured pets and offering advice and comfort to distraught owners.

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They were renowned for their eccentric personalities and fearless spirit. Working in an era without health and safety regulations, these mavericks displayed extraordinary ingenuity, daring and expertise, often placing themselves in harm's way to rescue animals from predicaments that ranged from the bizarre to the tragic and perilous; scaling derelict buildings, plunging into sewers, threading their way between electrified rails, and dangling over dizzying heights.

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Runaway chimpanzee in a park? A terrapin clamped in a crocodile's jaws? Horses trapped in a burning stable? A woman barricaded in her bathroom by a snake? No problem. It was all in a night's work. Their watchword was expect the unexpected and they thrived on unpredictability

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Blending lost history with the author's own first-hand experiences in the early 1970s, it reveals a world of danger, compassion, and astonishing ingenuity. It is a tribute to the men who risked everything to protect the city's animals and ensures their contributions are finally recorded for the generations who never knew they existed.

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"Fearless. Eccentric. Unsung. London's forgotten rescuers return to the light."

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Our Ever-Open Door, The Remarkable RSPCA London Night Emergency Service 1936-1976

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