Dog Saves Kitten from Freezing to Death

Dec 22nd 2009

Saved by the bark! When Welly the kitten went missing from his home in Swindon, England, his owner, Lorna Hayes, was devastated. But just in time for the holidays, Hayes' neighbors' greyhound mix, Susie, discovered the 11-week-old cat in the bushes. By barking in front of the cat's hiding spot, Susie led Hayes straight to Welly, reports the Swindon Advertiser.

Hayes couldn't believe that her kitty -- who was found curled up and frozen -- survived the cold night. "Susie found my kitten nearly dead in the undergrowth – we were ecstatic because we thought he had been caught by a fox or killed by the cold," Hayes told the Swindon Advertiser.

Hayes believes that Welly may have escaped in a visitor's stroller. She started searching for her missing cat the previous night and continued at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

The pooch in shining armor began barking when she saw Welly in the bushes the previous night, but she was brought inside to avoid upsetting the neighbors. The next day, Susie returned to the same spot and continued her barking, eventually leading Hayes to the rescue.

"Susie is my saviour," Hayes told the Swindon Advertiser.

While Hayes admits she would normally be mad at her furry troublemaker, she's happy that Welly is alive and well. Since his homecoming, Welly has been staying away from the door.