Call it a “sub-woofer.”
An Olympian cyclist displayed a heart of gold after rescuing a lost dog while biking — and leading him home using his own headphones as the leash. A video of the touching moment has since gone viral on Instagram and Twitter.
“Tip of the day, if you happen to find a lost dog while out on your bike headphones double up as a great lead,” wrote Welsh professional road cyclist Owain Doull, 27, above a Twitter clip of the rescue. In the ensuing 11-second footage, the rider can be seen biking on a road as the pooch trots gamely beside him with his earphones tethered to his collar.
The pro had encountered the dog, named Bolt, while on a practice ride in Derbyshire on Monday, the Independent reported.
“I found him on the side of the road, shivering and looking a bit lost,” said Doull, who captured the gold medal in the men’s team pursuit at the 2016 Olympics.
After failing to locate Bolt’s owner, the biker examined the dog’s collar which listed his address and telephone number. Unfortunately, Doull’s attempt to call the owner failed due to poor reception, so he plugged the address into his phone, and discovered that the dog lived right up the road.
Bolt’s obedience ensured that the rescue went off without a hitch. “I’ve never met such a responsive dog in my life,” said Doull. “He would wander off and I would just say ‘Bolt’ and he’d come straight back.”
The wayward canine has since been reunited with owner James Harvey, a breast cancer surgeon from Manchester, who expressed his gratitude to Doull on Instagram.
“Thanks Owain. Bolt’s exhausted and pleased to have met a new friend,” he wrote.
“My pleasure, glad bolt is safe and sound,” replied the kind-hearted rescuer, who has described the dog as the “perfect companion.”
Needless to say, the unorthodox rescue has made waves on Twitter.
“Well done Owain, such a kind thing to do,” gushed one commenter.
“Impressed the headphones worked so well! Good man,” said another.
One Twitter wit joked that Bolt was lucky Doull was going for an easy practice ride while he was tethered to his bike.