Sydney  - A dog who acted as a canine defibrillator by repeatedly jumping up and down on the chest of a heart attack victim received an Australian award Wednesday for pet bravery.

Teka, a 3-year-old cattle dog, is credited by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) with helping save the life of owner Jim Touzeau after he collapsed two years ago.

"My heart had definitely stopped," the 71-year-old widower said at the Maryborough, Queensland, awards ceremony. "I don't know if she actually kick-started my heart, but the doctors said that if I hadn't come to and called for help the chances are I would be dead."

Doctors said the Teka treatment was enough to give Touzeau enough consciousness to phone for help.

"She was really thumping on my chest with her two front feet," he said. "She must have been thinking 'I'd better wake this fellow up or I won't get any dinner.'"

The canny canine's ministrations didn't stop there: Teka raced out on to the street and barked and jumped up and down to attract the attention of passers-by.

Touzeau told the Brisbane Times that the pair were fast friends.

"I got Teka three years ago and she's a terrific companion. She just never leaves my side. Because it's just the two of us, I rely on her and she relies on me," the self-employed glass blower said.

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said Teka was now in the running for a Purple Cross, a national award for animals that have shown outstanding service to humans. "She is yet another example that animals have a sixth sense that we'll probably never understand but can certainly be grateful for," Beatty said. (dpa)