A brave guide dog jumped in front of a fast moving school bus in New York to save its visually impaired woman owner from being hit and ended up fracturing its own leg.
Figo, a golden retriever, who is being praised by the people for its heroic act, underwent a surgery following the incident and is said to be on the mend in New York's Putnam County.
Audrey Stone, the dog's owner, is hospitalised with a broken ankle, elbow and three cracked ribs, The Journal News reported on Tuesday.
The dog will stay at the vet's until Stone is ready to go home. Figo's leg was cut to the bone.
Figo and Stone were out for a walk when Figo saw a school minibus barrelling toward them, police said. The dog threw itself at the closest part of the bus.
The bus driver, who had two kindergarten students on board, did not see the pair crossing the road, police said. No one on the bus was injured. The driver was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian.
Paul Schwartz, who works at a nearby gas station and convenience store, came running when he saw the crash.
{{/usCountry}}Paul Schwartz, who works at a nearby gas station and convenience store, came running when he saw the crash.
{{/usCountry}}Figo kept trying to limp toward his owner, Schwartz said. And Stone kept calling for her dog.
"He let us wrap up his leg without any problem," Schwartz told the paper. "He wasn't barking or crying or yelping. But he kept pulling toward her."
Firefighters put Figo in a truck and took him to a vet. News crews visited him afterward.