A loyal dog who was photographed refusing to leave his injured owner’s side has shown the true bond that can exist between man and beast.
Jesus Heuche was trimming a tree in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, when he fell six feet, cracking his head on the concrete pavement below.
Frantic neighbours called for an ambulance as the 28-year-old lay unconscious – with his faithful dog Tony perching astride his chest and never leaving his side.
Paramedics from Argentinian emergency service Defensa Civil attended the accident, gently applying a neck brace under the watchful eye of Tony, who tried to climb into the ambulance with his master.
Heuche was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries before being discharged.
Of the devoted dog that he adopted as a stray, the 28-year-old told radio station La Brujula 24: “He goes everywhere with me and lies in my bed until my wife takes him out.”