Security camera footage caught a heartwarming moment when a dog came to the aid of her four-legged friend in a backyard swimming pool.
In the video, Jessie, a seven-year-old black Staffordshire terrier, came to the rescue of 13-year-old toy Pomeranian Chucky as he struggled to keep his head above water. The daring rescue took place on April 8 in Boksburg City, South Africa.
Footage shows Chucky walking beside the pool, then falling in after becoming distracted by something he saw. Jessie is then seen struggling to get a grip on Chucky’s wet fur, in an effort to pull him up to safety. After laboring for 34 minutes, Jessie is finally able to grab him and get him on solid ground.
Fortunately, Chucky was not injured in the incident.
Owner Byron Thanarayen told the Daily Mail that he and his wife reviewed the security footage after finding the two dogs soaking wet.
“We tried to look for clues as to where he could have wet his head,” Thanarayen said. “We thought maybe he dipped his head in the water but there was no mess in the house to support this suggestion.
“It was heart-wrenching to watch,” he said. “We still struggle to watch that video today, just thinking of what could have happened if Jessie was not there.”
Thanarayen told the Daily Mail that Jessie was a troubled rescue dog that was adopted four years ago, after a previous foster family returned her to the shelter. Previous owners complained that Jessie was not good with other animals, but Thanarayen did not find that to be the case when Jessie joined their family.
“I'm really proud of her, considering she is the youngest,” Thanarayen said. “Our dogs know how to swim but they always swim with us and not when we are not with them."
The Thanarayens said they are installing a pool cover to avoid future incidents.
(PHOTO: Getty Images)