Beached dolphin rescued by man and his dog

A two-year-old cocker spaniel is being hailed a hero after saving a beached baby dolphin in Wales.

Leia and her owner Rich Wilcock were taking a stroll along a blustery Criccieth shoreline in North Wales last week when Leia began barking and desperately trying to get her owner’s attention.

“I was stood taking pictures and videos of the scenery when Leia started to make a right old fuss,” Mr Wilcock told the Daily Post.

“She kept coming up to me, barking and nudging me, she must have smelt the dolphin from a mile off.”

Mr Wilcock filmed as he moved towards where Leia was getting excited, finding the helpless fish on the rocks. He gently lifted the stranded mammal up and slid it into the waves, herding it back towards deeper water.

However, there has been debate about what animal he actually rescued, with a spokesperson for the Seawatch foundation saying: “It’s probably a juvenile harbour porpoise, it does look quite small even for a porpoise.”

Mr Wilcock praised Leia, saying she’s more intelligent than most dogs.

The pair stayed and walked the beach for an hour to make sure the fish didn’t end up on the sand again.