A cat stuck up a tree, a seagull trapped in brambles and a cow stranded in a ditch may not get a free rescue from firefighters in future.

Changes to the Localism Act now allows fire and rescue services to introduce fees and charges to animal rescue jobs – and faulty lift callouts – as long as they consult the public first.

Hundreds of callouts which were attended by East and West Sussex fire and rescue services over the past two years have been for animals.

Combined, the two services have attended more than 650 animal-related callouts since the start of 2013 – costing at least an estimated £105,000.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended the most animal-related jobs with 456.

They included the recovery of a dog that drowned in a pool in Lewes, assisting a horse owner whose horse box opened on the A27 and the removal of a collar from a dog in Brighton.

Just last week firefighters were called out to reports of a dog on a cliff in Brighton’s Kemp Town and to a seagull trapped in netting four storeys up in Patcham.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended 206 animal-related jobs – including when crews helped a distressed deer at the side of the road near Handcross in February last year.

They also went to the A264 in Crawley to rescue a loose dog seen among the cars.

Figures from both fire services include dozens of seagull rescues, mainly involving birds that were trapped in roof netting.

A spokeswoman from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are considering whether to charge for animal rescues and indeed lift rescues in the future.

“We always recommend that people call a wildlife charity first – not the fire and rescue service.”