The owners of Midge the Jack Russell terrier reckon he's got more lives than a cat.

The 12-month-old pooch had to be rescued by firefighters after falling into Selby Canal - and the following day was hit by a car.

Owner Barbara Redhall, of Brackenhill Close, Brayton, said: "Miraculously, Midge came through both incidents unscathed.

"If a cat is supposed to have nine lives, then he must have ten."

The fire brigade was called out on Sunday when the terrier was out with Mrs Redhall's son, Gareth, 20, at Burn. The dog jumped out of Gareth's arms and plunged into the canal where he made his way under a mooring jetty.

He had been there 30 minutes, clinging to a ledge, when Selby firefighter Andy Wilson stripped off and jumped into the freezing cold water with a safety line around him.

Andy said: "The dog was very distressed. It was half on the ledge and half in the water, shivering and whimpering.

"I tried to coax him on to a life ring, but he wasn't having any, so in the end I just grabbed him."

Mrs Redhall revealed that the following day, Midge had another narrow escape when he got out of the garden and ran underneath the wheels of a passing car.

She said: "Fortunately it was only a glancing blow and he appears to be OK.

"Perhaps we should have called him Lucky."

Updated: 14:53 Wednesday, April 11, 2001