A DOG who saved his disabled owner's life after a fall has won official recognition of his deed.

Orca, a golden retriever, hit the headlines after his owner Cheryl Smith fell 20ft into a water-filled ditch in her wheelchair.

The 18-month-old briefly left her in the ditch in York - but only to run off and get the attention of a nearby jogger.

The specially-trained rescue dog then led him to his stranded owner and the alarm was raised.

Orca has been awarded a silver medal for lifesaving from dog charity Pro Dogs.

"I'm really proud of him," said Ms Smith, a chemistry student at York University. "He soaks up all the attention - there's no stopping him now."

Orca can obey more than 105 commands, unload the washing machine and press the button at the pedestrian crossing. He recently even learned to retrieve money and credit cards from the cash machine with his teeth.

"I struggle to grab the card and cash from the machine at the same time so it's great that Orca can do it," said Cheryl.