(CNN) — A Shiloh pastor named Tinsley won extra treats Monday night after leading authorities to his owner, who was injured after a car accident and needed urgent help. The dog saved her owner’s life.
Tinsley came to the attention of the New Hampshire State Police (NHSP) when they answered a call on a loose dog on the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, which crosses the New Hampshire-Vermont border on I-89.
Police Tom Sandberg and officers from the Lebanon Police Department located a large dog that appeared agitated and scared, said NHSP Lt. Dan Baldassarre. “They were trying to get the dog off the road to keep him safe,” he said.
Sandberg and the officers tried to get closer to the dog but she would run and then stop and look at them, trying to get their attention.
“The dog stood at the top of the embankment and looked down,” Baldassarre said.
Agents noticed a damaged section of the railing and when they looked down they saw a badly damaged pickup that had overturned, NHSP public information agent Amber Lagace said in an email to CNN.
Tinsley’s owner was one of two men injured in a truck accident, New Hampshire State Police said. (Credit: New Hampshire State Police)
Two men inside the truck had been thrown out of the vehicle and were injured and hypothermic, Lagace said.
Sandberg and the officers called for medical assistance and, while at the scene, learned that Tinsley belonged to one of the wounded men.
The dog was the “guardian angel” of its owner
“This was almost like a real life Lassie situation,” Baldassarre said. “It’s really remarkable. This dog definitely saved their lives. I don’t think they would have survived the night given the temperatures.”
Both men were taken to an area hospital for treatment, Vermont State Police said.
“She is my guardian angel,” Tinsley owner Cam Laundry told CNN affiliate WPTZ. “It’s a miracle that he had that kind of intelligence to do what he did.”
Laundry described Tinsley as his co-pilot and said they regularly ride together in the truck that crashed.
His heroism would be rewarded, he said.
“They pamper her all the time,” Laundry told WPTZ. “He’ll get some venison, probably a hamburger, tonight and probably some scratches on his back.”