Dog saves 80-year-old owner

He may be slightly overweight and a little long in the tooth, but Sam the fox terrier could give Lassie a run for her money.

Sam is being hailed a life saver after raising the alarm for 80-year-old owner Keith Marsh, who crashed down a steep bank on a remote King Country road and spent the night trapped in his vehicle.

Loyal Sam, thought to be aged between 12 and 14, kept his best mate warm in freezing conditions overnight, before climbing a steep bank to raise the alarm.

Two schoolteachers thought it odd to see Sam "in the middle of nowhere" about 8.30am on Friday and stopped to investigate. He promptly led the way to his elderly owner and an ambulance was called.

Yesterday, Marsh was still recovering and was not up to seeing visitors. His daughter Jenni Cox told the Herald on Sunday her dad was not badly hurt but had been severely shaken. MORE>>