Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Jul 26 (IANS): In a humanitarian gesture, the NDRF teams engaged in massive flood rescue operations helped save a dog, marooned on a submerged house rooftop, officials said here on Monday.

The incident occurred in Shiroli village of Kolhapur when a NDRF team was out in boats searching to rescue people still trapped in the floodwaters.

"Suddenly, we heard some frail but sharp barks from a nearby home and went to investigate - where a wet, shaken and scared brown dog was stuck, waiting for help," said one the NDRF rescuers.

The NDRF rescuers immediately clambered onto the creaky and soggy roof, comforted the cold and hungry canine, offered him some biscuits and as he calmed down, gently wrapped him up in their arms to the boat.

All the time, the relieved and grateful dog wagged his tail vigorously, faithfully punctuated by short thanksgiving woofs of joy to his messiahs for finally ending his long loveless ordeal.

The torrential downpour last week followed by massive flooding has claimed 149 human lives and thousands of animals, including cattle, fowl, dogs and cats either drowning or getting washed away in the angry flood-waters in six districts of coastal Konkan and western Maharashtra.