A DARING donkey who defied danger to save a sheep from a dog attack is to receive an animal bravery award.

Dotty the donkey stepped in when her friend - Stanley the sheep - was targeted by a baying hound on the farm where they live near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

She will be presented with her award today, by representatives from pets charity PDSA.

Dotty's brave deed occurred when a dog entered the animals' shared paddock and launched a frenzied attack on defenceless Stanley.

Seeing the sheep's plight, heroic Dotty intervened and pinned the dog to the ground until it let go of Stanley.

Nearly two years on, Stanley is now fully recovered and never far from his rescuer - even sharing the same stable at night.

Dotty's proud owner, Ann Rogers, 63, said: "She saw her friend in distress and charged down the field to rescue him from the dog's jaws."

The PDSA certificate for animal bravery was introduced in 2001.

For more information about brave pets, visit pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards

Read The Northern Echo today for the full story