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- A Boksburg rescue dog will be honoured after saving another dog from drowning.
- When Chucky, a 13-year-old Toy Pom, fell into a pool, Jessie rushed to rescue him.
- Chucky's family has set up a website to raise funds for the Boksburg SPCA as a token of their appreciation.
Not all heroes wear capes. Take Johannesburg dog Jessie, for example.
Last week Friday, Jessie rescued her dog friend, a 13-year-old Toy Pom named Chucky, from their family's pool.
She spent more than half an hour trying to get Chucky to safety.
Why is the dog wet?
"When we got home, we noticed that Chucky's head was wet, but the rest of his body was dry. Initially, we thought that he had put his head in the toilet, but we didn't see any water around the house," Byron Thanarayen told News24.
Thanarayen and his wife Melissa started to investigate.
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"My wife suggested we check the security footage to see what happened. She got the shock of her life when she saw that Chucky had fallen into the pool," he said.
The footage shows Chucky walking close to the edge of the pool. He misses his step and suddenly slips into the body of water.
"Chucky knows how to swim, but they only go into the water with us and stay close to the stairs. He doesn't have a lot of stamina. The way he fell into the pool caught him by surprise, and he panicked."
"Also, it is a bit colder now, so he must have been quite cold inside the pool," the dog owner said.
And then a hero comes along
When Jessie saw Chucky struggling, she put aside her fear of water, got close to the edge of the pool and used her teeth to pull him out.
"Jessie is one of the best dogs I've ever owned. She loves people and gets on with children," Thanarayen said.
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Jessie's bravery will be honoured by the Boksburg SPCA on Tuesday.
"We are so proud of Jessie for not giving up on the rescue of her smaller friend who'd fallen in the swimming pool and couldn't get out. People are often of the opinion that animals don't feel similar emotions to us."
"This incident proves the compassion and distress one dog went through when her friend was in trouble," SPCA senior investigator Vicky Finnemore told News24.
Jessie will receive a certificate and a hamper full of treats and spoils.
"She's a fantastic dog, and it's such an honour that she is getting recognised by the SPCA. I feel like a proud dad. From being a rescue to [rescuing a] dog is fantastic," Thanarayen added.
Paying it forward
The Thanarayen family has also set up a website to raise funds for the Boksburg SPCA.
"We want to show our appreciation to the Boksburg SPCA, especially since we got Jessie from there."
The family will also be installing a pool cover to ensure this never happens again.
