A hero Angus canine has proved himself woman’s best friend after coming to the rescue of a 91-year-old lying badly injured in her back garden.
Bearded collie Fergus raised the alarm after the OAP took a night-time tumble in Edzell.
The pair know each other well as neighbours, and the dogged doggie rushed back to his owner to bark the alarm call which led to the discovery of the distraught pensioner.
She is now making a good recovery at home after being rushed to hospital following the incident earlier this month.
The woman did not wish to be named, but has praised 12-year-old Fergus and his owner, Trish McGregor.
They averted what could have turned into a much more serious situation.
Trish, of Slateford Road in the Angus village, said: “Fergie knows everyone, especially my neighbours.
“When my friend wants to have a gossip over the fence she’ll tell him ‘get your mummy’.
“He’ll then come up the garden to the house and bark at me so I know to go out and have a chat.”
Trish added: “Fergus was out in the back garden around nine o’clock that night.
“He came back to the house and kept running in and out, barking all the time.
“It’s exactly what he does when my neighbour is out there.
“But I knew she wouldn’t be out for a chat at that time of night.
“He wouldn’t shut up and I told him not to be silly.
“But he just didn’t stop,” she said.
Trish, 80, then went to investigate and found her badly hurt friend.
“She had broken her arm and was cut on her face,” she said.
“It was very cold that night.
“After falling she was struggling to get back to the house and had been shouting out for help, but none of the other neighbours heard her.
“If Fergus hadn’t come for me and made such a fuss who knows what might have happened.”
An ambulance took the lady to hospital and she is now on the mend at home.
Trish said: “She is an amazing old lady.
“Her and Fergus always get on, but she now thinks even more of him.
She added: “He’s totally spoiled, but really he’s a wonderful companion.
“Everybody knows him and he’s a bit of a character.
“Fergie knows everything I say – even if he doesn’t do what I tell him very often!
“He’s a little devil sometimes, but I wouldn’t be without him and I think he deserves to be in the good books now.”