Arab News Japan

Japan’s Hyogo Pref. awarded a Shiba Inu dog for helping save a man in his 70s stuck in a gutter in Takarazuka, by pulling on his leash and leading his owner to the man.

The dog, Teritama, and his 30-year-old owner were presented with the prefectural government’s Nojigiku award on May 21 for their good deed.

Japan News reported that the owner was walking Teritama around the city on April 12 when the Shiba Inu started walking towards a dark alley and tugging the owner by his leash.

The owner then heard a voice calling out for help. The pair found the 70-year-old man stuck in a gutter, 1.2 meters deep and 50 centimeters wide, and called the police and an ambulance.

He had suffered a head injury and fell into the gutter while trying to pick up a lighter he dropped. He was stuck for about an hour before he was found.

According to the chief of the Takarazuka Police Station, the elderly man could have been in real danger since the weather was chilly in the mornings and evenings.