A LOCAL charity champion is thanking his lucky stars after two selfless strangers helped to rescue his beloved dog after it got into difficulty on Monday evening.

Craig Crosthwaite, who is the co-ordinator of the foodbank in North Ayrshire, was walking his dog Lois near the ferry terminal when the old dog managed to fall into the water.

The Ardrossan resident told the Herald: “I have to thank two heroic seafarers who pulled my Lois out of the water.

“Being an older dog I have to presume she failed to see the edge and literally walked out and straight into the water with a fall of over 10 feet.

“Having cried several times for help, two people came to her rescue. Climbing down the ladders with ropes they managed to entice her over and having firmly grabbed her carried her back up the ladders onto land.”

Craig added: “With tears, I thought I had lost her being 16 years of age. I did not expect her to manage to stay swimming. Bedraggled, she is now safe back at the house.

“All I could do was shake their hands and thank them. If they read this message I want to say publicly, thank you for rescuing Lois, my companion these 16 years. I will start using our safer walk along South Beach.”