NORTH HIGHLANDS (CBS13) – A dog is being credited with helping to save his four-legged friend in North Highlands overnight.

A homeowner on Shell Street called the Sacramento Metro Fire Department just before midnight after he discovered one of his dogs, an Akita named RJ, was trapped in a drainage canal behind his house.

The homeowner told the fire department his other dog Tommy had alerted him by running back and forth from a hole in his fence where RJ had escaped.

Firefighters arrived, unlocked a gate to access the canal and pulled RJ to safety. They then helped the homeowner repair his fence.

They believe RJ took off to chase after a skunk because of the odor he was giving off after his rescue.