Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011

Take a bow-wow: Asako Soma, whose 81-year-old husband, Yoshimasa, was rescued after spending a freezing night trapped in a wrecked car, receives an award on behalf of Junior, the couple's 7-year-old Labrador retriever that saved the day, in the town of Naie, Hokkaido, on Thursday. KYODO

SAPPORO — The town of Naie, Hokkaido, rewarded a dog for keeping his 81-year-old owner and 3-year-old granddaughter warm as they survived a freezing winter night in an overturned car last week.

Junior, a 7-year-old male Labrador retriever, was given a collar with a gold medal and some dog food during an award ceremony Thursday.

Junior's master, Yoshimasa Soma, had taken his granddaughter, Sukai Kimura of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, out for a ride in Naie on the evening of Nov. 15, saying he was taking Junior for a walk, police said. The girl was visiting Naie with her mother.

While driving along a river in the neighboring town of Urausu, however, he accidentally drove off the road, sending the car rolling down an embankment. When the rolling stopped, the man and the girl found that they were unable to move.

The car was found the following morning several meters below the road, resting on its side with a broken window.

When they went down to check the car, police officers found Junior cuddled up to the girl and licking her cheek.

The humans suffered only minor frostbite on their feet despite outside temperatures that plunged below zero during the night.

Soma's son said it is unbelievable the two escaped death and expressed his gratitude to the faithful Lab.

Labrador retrievers are often trained to serve as guide dogs because of their sophisticated behavior. But Junior had already earned a good reputation in his neighborhood.

"Junior is a quiet, wise dog," a local resident said, adding that Soma and Junior had always been a perfect match.

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