A hero dog saved his owner's life after he collapsed during a walk in what has been described as a "Lassie-style" rescue.
Hearing dog Viv, a three-year-old chocolate-coloured cockapoo, alerted one of the owner's neighbours when he collapsed on their walk after sitting down on a park bench, feeling ill.
When Stephen Dack, from Darlington, County Durham, regained consciousness, all thanks to his pooch, he was surrounded by paramedics who treated him while his wife looked on anxiously.
After being rushed to hospital, the 60-year-old was allowed to return home after a short stay with just a few cuts and bruises - leaving him immensely proud of his proactive pup who saved his life.
Although Stephen has no recollection of the incident, he was later told that in a "Lassie-style" rescue, Viv had alerted one of his neighbours, Ellie, to his predicament.
Ellie explained: "I was walking home from work when I saw Viv running around anxiously by herself. She came up to me, barking, and when I followed her, she led me to where Stephen lay in the lane.
"I couldn't move him, so I ran and got help from another neighbour, and when we came back, Viv was sitting by Stephen's feet. We rang an ambulance, and I found his phone number on Viv's collar and called his wife."
Stephen was extremely grateful for the amazing help from the neighbours and was also very proud of the bond he has built with Viv after they were paired together by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in 2022.
He explained that while she is an assistant dog, she had no prior training of what to do in the event of him collapsing - making the rescue all the more miraculous.
Stephen said: "In her role as a hearing dog, she isn't trained to get help if I collapse. She could just as easily have run home or run off, but she stayed with me and got help, which just goes to show the close bond between us.
"She made me very proud that day and, as you can imagine, had a few extra treats when I got home.
"My hearing had been deteriorating since I was 18, but I had to give up work when I was 57 as it got so bad that I couldn't hear what my workmates were saying to me.
"I became very low after leaving work and avoided speaking to people at all because I couldn't hold a conversation with them.
"After a while, I stopped going out completely, and my wife wouldn't go out either because she didn't want to leave me on my own.
"She basically became my carer."
Life changed for Stephen after an incident occurred at his home where he didn't notice a fire alarm going off which acted as a huge wake-up call for him.
Stephen explained: "I didn't hear it, and I didn't see the warning beacon we'd had installed in the hallway because I was in a different room.
"The first I knew about it was when my wife came running in to tell me we needed to get out of the flat.
"That was a wake-up call for us both. My wife got on to the internet and started researching devices for warning deaf people about alarms, and then she saw an advert for Hearing Dogs.
"We applied and shortly afterwards I was matched with Viv.
"Quite simply, she's given me my life back. I know I can rely on her to tell me if someone's at the door, or if an alarm goes off, but just as importantly, she gets me outdoors.
"I meet other dog walkers, and they know she is a hearing dog so they speak clearly and we can have a conversation.
"One of the best things though is that my wife has got her life back too. She can go shopping or for a coffee with friends without having to worry about me."
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is urgently seeking volunteer puppy trainers in the Darlington region.
Anyone interested in becoming a trainer can visit the Hearing Dogs for The Deaf website to find out more.
