A family's new puppy is already worth its weight in gold - after digging up sovereign coins worth almost £6,000. Adam Clark bought Ollie, a lagotto romagnolo, as a surprise for his nine-year-old daughter Alicia last month.
On his first walk around local fields, the pet stumbled upon a small fortune when he dug up 15 gold sovereign pieces likely dating back to the 19th century. Adam, who works in property, took the gold coins to be examined by precious metals dealer Chards, which valued the haul at a staggering £5,943.96.
The lagotto romagnolo is renowned for digging and is regularly used to hunt for truffles in the breed's native Italy. Owner Adam, 51, is thrilled with the return from the treasure, but believes the real prize is Ollie himself, dubbing him his very own "gold hunter".
Adam, from Blackpool, Lancashire, said: "When we got him we thought he seemed special. Alicia was over the moon and we couldn't wait to take him out for his first walk. We'd literally been walking for around 10 minutes when Ollie suddenly stopped and started frantically digging away at the soil.
"That's when he uncovered the pile of gold pieces - I couldn't quite believe it. The treasure is one thing, but, the fact is, I've bought myself my very own gold hunter, and I cannot wait to take him out again.
"He is obviously a very special pup and I'm thrilled with what he brings to the table - quite literally."
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