'It's either my life or dog's life': NSF rescues lost pet hit by car

Although hospitalised with finger injuries, the 22-year-old says that he has no regrets

- Fatimah Mujibah

A full-time national serviceman (NSF) put his own safety at risk by rescuing a dog that had dashed across a road twice on Aug 3.

Mr Ilham Jufri, who is serving at the Singapore Police Force's K-9 unit, was hospitalised after injuring three of his fingers and joints in the process.

The 22-year-old was on an evening run in Bedok around 6.45pm when he noticed a small brown dog scurrying into the bushes near a park connector.

He caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a toy poodle, looking "beat up" and wet with dried leaves on its body, probably due to the rainy weather earlier.

He was trying to cajole it out of the bushes when the dog suddenly darted across the road and was hit by a car, which drove off without stopping.

Mr Ilham instinctively ran to the road, raised his arms and started shouting to warn other drivers about the pooch.

"It's either my life or the dog's life," he told The Straits Times in a phone interview on Aug 5.

"I have never yelled that loud before. I didn't even think I had it in me to shout that loud."