A playful pooch bit off more than it could chew when it tried to jump over a five-foot-high fence.

Year-old collie-cross Jess got stuck when her front right paw was impaled on a metal post.

Firefighters were called out to free the distressed dog and tended to it until RSPCA inspectors arrived.

Following the incident -- at School Walk, Braithwaite, on Monday morning -- Jess underwent emergency surgery and was taken to an RSPCA centre in Bradford.

Now she has been reunited with her owner and is back at home in Braithwaite Walk, Keighley.

Mrs Karen Richardson -- whose 17-year-old son Colin bought the pet last year -- said Jess fled from the house while she was out by opening a latch on the kitchen window and leaping over the garden fence.

Karen, 41, said: "I was out looking for her with my niece all afternoon -- we even saw the fire engine but didn't connect it with Jess.

"When my son came home he went out to search as well and someone mentioned the incident involving a dog and the description matched.

"We then contacted the RSPCA and Jess was back with us the following morning."

The dog has suffered damage to the tendons in its front right leg which, despite surgery, may still have to be amputated.

Karen was hoping to hear yesterday if the limb could be saved.

There are also lesser injuries to its other front leg.

Karen said: "She is feeling very sorry for herself at the moment but that hasn't stopped her continuing to try to jump up at window ledges.

"Clearly we were overjoyed to get her back but upset at what has happened. We just hope her leg can be saved. She is normally very hyperactive and just wants to play when she's outside."

The RSPCA said that because initially there was no clue as to the identity of the dog's owner, the animal had to be dealt with as a stray.

Two inspectors, Alison Wilkinson and Rachael Oprysk, attended the incident.

A spokesman for the charity said: "Because the dog was in good condition and had a new collar we knew it was well looked after but technically it was a stray.

"The RSPCA does not normally take in stray dogs -- that is the responsibility of the dog warden service, or the police if out of hours -- but in this case, because the dog was injured, we took a moral decision to deal with it.

"We are delighted that Jess has now been reunited with her owner."