There were many significant points about the woman that made her particularly vulnerable. First of all, she was a woman who was not in a position to help herself out of the crisis. Second, she was an elderly person in her 60s. And third, she suffered from chronic asthma.

It is not uncommon for elderly people to go unnoticed in rescue missions. They can get trapped or separated from crowds more easily.

And had her canine companion not been with her throughout her ordeal, she would not have clung on to life and hope for as long as she did.

The account makes me recall my own harrowing experience when I was caught in a flash flood a few years ago.

I was in stuck in a traffic jam in the city with my three dogs in my car. We were heading home after a routine visit to the veterinarian.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. I could see muddy water gushing in my direction from all sides.

The able-bodied drivers abandoned their vehicles and ran for cover in the nearby high-rise buildings. The waters swallowed several cars. I had to think fast.

If I had been alone in my car, I would have probably been a nervous wreck. However, because I had three large animals under my care, I had to think of their safety above my own. Although my pets seemed to completely understand the seriousness of the situation from the way they kept looking around, they amazingly remained calm. They even offered me a lick every now and again as if to calm me down too.

Taking their cue, I realized that there was no time to panic. What I needed to do instead was to quickly and carefully think of ways to make our escape.

One way was to open the doors and let them swim out to safety as dogs are naturally excellent swimmers.

As for me, I could swim too.

However, there was no way to gauge how strong the water current was and the possibility of it dragging me to further danger.

In any case, as service dogs, I had full confidence that my dogs would come back for me. One of them did exactly that during his training in a pool.

Fortunately for all of us, the moment of reckoning did not materialize. Where I was parked, the water did not rise to crisis level.

Back to the elderly woman and her pet, they are apparently both safe now.

However, it seems to me that such an outstanding act of derring-do on the part of the canine for its disabled and elderly owner should not go unnoticed. The Seremban Municipal Council, for instance, should seriously consider bestowing a bravery award to this exemplary canine for its heroic and selfless deed. Don’t you agree?