A COUPLE have expressed their gratitude to a “true hero” who rescued their Basset Hound dog from the canal today.

Gracie, who belongs to Mihangel and Helen Smith, was out for a walk at 11am this morning with Mrs Smith along the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal at Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve, Brighouse, when the drama unfolded.

Mrs Smith said: “Ever since we rescued Gracie over 18 months ago, I’ve walked that canal every day with her.

“Basset Hounds are not good swimmers because of their big body and small legs, and Gracie has always hated the water.

“She was following on behind me and just sniffing away happily as she usually does, when all of a sudden, this runner came past and said to me ‘I had to rescue your dog from the canal, she fell in’. And he just carried on and ran off.

“I had no idea. She must have decided to launch herself in the canal. It’s so unlike her."

She said nothing like that had happened before.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Gracie takes a nap at home after her busy day.Gracie takes a nap at home after her busy day. (Image: UGC)

Although the experience left Gracie soaked through, Mrs Smith said her beloved Basset Hound was ok and on Sunday afternoon, she was snoozing at home after her busy day.

Mrs Smith said that she never really got the chance to properly thank the runner, so she and her husband Mihangel are reaching out to get in touch with the runner, who they described as a “true hero”.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Gracie's owners, Mihangel and Helen Smith.Gracie's owners, Mihangel and Helen Smith. (Image: UGC)

She said: “He didn’t want any gratitude. He just wanted to finish his run.

“He took his time to help Gracie, so we just wanted to get in touch and thank him properly.

“We rescued Gracie nearly two years ago and somebody rescued her today.

“She’s at the absolute centre of our entire world.

“We’d just like to thank this gentleman because we are so grateful.”

In a post on the Brighouse and Rastrick Community Network Group, Mr Smith wrote: “Would like to say a massive thank you to the unknown runner that saved my Basset Hound Gracie from the Brighouse canal this morning after she fell in. My wife was walking the dog this morning.

“Thank you for jumping in, and like a true hero you just carried on your run.”

Mrs Smith appealed to the runner to contact her on her Facebook account, Hellie Bee, and she would get in touch.