Mbonisi Nkonzo, a security guard who patrols the Brakpan Ekurhuleni Customer Care Centre (CCC), rescued a drowning puppy on September 14.

He was on his perimeter patrol when he heard a dog barking, one of two he had seen roaming the grounds but could not capture. When he walked closer, he saw the puppy drowning in a pool from which the fountain water drains.

The pool, full of algae and stagnant water, was large and deep, and the puppy that had fallen in could not get out.

“I had to pull him out by his ears because I couldn’t reach anything else,” Mbonisi said.

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After saving the puppy, he became aware of a car driving up and down the road outside the CCC grounds. He approached them to ask what they were searching for.

They said: “We are looking for our baby,” which he realised was their puppy after getting a description.

There was a couple and two children in the car, and when he brought them their puppy, they were ecstatic. Not only did he save the puppy’s life, but he reunited it with its family.

He explained the other two dogs were theirs as well, and they put them into their car and took them home safely.