Loyal dog saves owner's life when firefighters can't reach him

Two men who were stuck in sinking mud were very lucky that a one-year-old labrador, Otis, was there to save them.

Jake Atkins and his friends were duck hunting by Perry Lake, near Lawrence, Kansas, in the early hours of Monday 30 October.

"We were walking pretty much side-by-side, and we both sank to knee depth in the mud and we tried to wiggle ourselves out and it ended up being waist deep," Atkins said.

After realising that struggling was only getting them stuck deeper in the mud, Atkins called 911.

However, firefighters couldn't get to Atkins and his friend's location. "If they'd walked out they would've sunk too, so there was no way for them to get rope to us," Atkins explained.

His young dog Otis seemed to be the only one able to help, reports KCTV. The dog owner attached the rope to the dog, who was able to reach them without sinking.

Otis helped throughout the whole operation, running between Atkins and the team of rescuers, even though he had never been trained for rescue. He completed three trips: one for the gear, one for Atkins' friend, and then finally for Atkins himself.

By the third trip, Otis was crying out of exhaustion, but didn't leave his owner behind. "He followed me as they were pulling me. He kind of just was walking right beside me as they were pulling me in on my back. It was kind of funny," Atkins said.

After the ordeal had ended, the lab got some well-deserved rest in the bushes nearby. To thank Otis for his effort, Atkins will be taking him out for some steak.

Otis truly has the heart of a Gryffindog. 1.2 miles away from Lawrence, the Pet Alliance of Orlando is sorting its dogs by Hogwarts Houses.

The director, Stephen Bardy says he hopes the sorting system will underline each dog's uniqueness and make people consider them for their "dogness."

It's so that each dog, regardless of breed, gets a fair shot at being adopted and find a loving home.