When a fire broke out next door, retiree Peter Lim left his blind 10-year-old male Pomeranian behind as he ran out of his two-storey shophouse in Little India.

He then helped to disperse the crowd that had gathered in front of the burning building.

But fortunately, a police officer who had been assigned to check neighbouring units, spotted the dog, Lucky, in Mr Lim's home.

Special Constabulary Corporal Ian Abdullah, 23, told The New Paper last Thursday: "When I entered the unit beside the one on fire, I noticed the dog on the floor. I thought it would follow me but it didn't."

The full-time national serviceman quickly informed his colleague, Sergeant Kalvin Ng.

Sergeant Ng, 26, said: "The dog was not moving at all and the smoke was getting thicker. I couldn't just leave it there so I carried it out."

Mr Lim was shocked when he saw Lucky being carried out and told Sergeant Ng that the dog was his.

The police officers were on patrol duty in their police car around Mustafa Centre when they were alerted to the fire at 14 Dickson Road on May 16.

Sergeant Ng said: "Initially, we thought it was not serious but when we drove closer we could see a lot of smoke."

Mr Lim, who is divorced, has two sons and three grandsons. He lives with four distant relatives and rents out two rooms to them. He said Lucky was given to him about nine years ago by a neighbour.

Mr Lim added: "I was very grateful when the police brought my dog to me. Not only did the officers manage to ensure my home was okay, they also saved my dog."