To the rescue! A golden retriever dives in to save her struggling puppy who appeared to be tossed into a backyard pool
This is the touching moment a golden retriever puppy was rescued from drowning by its mother. It didn't take long for the adorable pooch to realise there was no way out after it appeared to be thrown into a backyard pool.
Its mother immediately dived in and swam to the rescue, pushing her pup above the water with her snout. At the edge of the water but unable to reach its little paws out, the pup's mother climbed out and grabbed it by its scruff.
Appearing to teach her little one a lesson, the mother pulls the puppy around for nearly 10 seconds before coming to a stop and letting it go.
A video that captured the moment, uploaded to YouTube on April 4, has already earned an astounding 120,000 hits.
And while some viewers cooed at the adorable puppy and her lifeguard mom, others did not have kind words for the dogs' owners, likening their actions to animal abuse.
Up you go: The mother pushes her little one onto the ledge with her snout
I've got you: The pup is pulled by its scruff out of the water - and around the yard for good measure
Lesson learned: The mother drags her puppy around the backyard for several seconds before letting it go
Criticizing the cameraman for not coming to its aide, user PrincessLorie wrote: 'Disgusting owner trying to get their 15 min. of fame by endangering poor, helpless animals.' Others defended their actions, and offered some reasoning.
'This is how we trained our K-9 German Shepherds to swim and rescue,' user Inventour1 wrote. 'We would toss them into the pool or ocean and let them figure it out. Dogs are tough and they can handle a little water now and then.'
source: dailymail