Twenty dogs rescued from Sydney's rising floodwaters

SYDNEY: Australian emergency services on Monday rescued 20 dogs from rising floodwaters that menaced a breeding kennel in a suburb northwest of Sydney on Monday.

Barks emanated from partially submerged kennels as the rescuers approached in inflatable boats. The dogs, a mix of Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds, were placed in animal carriers and then onto the boats, which were attached together, before being ferried over the floodwaters to safety. "As long as all the animals and our staff are all okay, that's really all we care about and everything else is replaceable," said Sharon, the breeder and trainer who operated the kennel, located in Londonderry, about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of central Sydney. She declined to give her last name.