January 27, 2003 (HAMPSTEAD, N.H.) — A collie named Jarrod has earned the title of man's best friend.
The 11/2-year-old dog pushed his owner away from beneath his snow-covered roof down a stairway seconds before the roof collapsed onto the deck.
"If I was under it I would have been crushed," said David Levesque, who uses a wheelchair. "The way I was leaning over the rail I would have been cut in half, I would have been killed."
The weight of the 12-by-14-foot roof was later estimated at nearly 4,000 pounds.
Levesque, 61, disabled by severe arthritis and spinal problems, said he was leaning against a railing and reaching up with one of his arm crutches to remove some snow when Jarrod started pushing him.
Levesque says he believes Jarrod, who is trained to help him get around, knew exactly what he was doing and saved his life the morning of Jan. 6.
"Dogs and other animals have heightened senses that allow them to hear things we can't hear," said veterinarian Roger G. Wells. "He may have heard the rafters creaking or the timbers starting the break in the roof before it collapsed."
The 11/2-year-old dog pushed his owner away from beneath his snow-covered roof down a stairway seconds before the roof collapsed onto the deck.
"If I was under it I would have been crushed," said David Levesque, who uses a wheelchair. "The way I was leaning over the rail I would have been cut in half, I would have been killed."
The weight of the 12-by-14-foot roof was later estimated at nearly 4,000 pounds.
Levesque, 61, disabled by severe arthritis and spinal problems, said he was leaning against a railing and reaching up with one of his arm crutches to remove some snow when Jarrod started pushing him.
Levesque says he believes Jarrod, who is trained to help him get around, knew exactly what he was doing and saved his life the morning of Jan. 6.
"Dogs and other animals have heightened senses that allow them to hear things we can't hear," said veterinarian Roger G. Wells. "He may have heard the rafters creaking or the timbers starting the break in the roof before it collapsed."
