South Africans have been expressing their gratitude to the agriculture minister for stepping in to stop a guide dog from being euthanised after it was saved from a yacht abandoned in rough seas.
"We are overly grateful," Craig Lambinon - from the volunteer team that rescued a Swiss man, his German daughter and their chocolate Labrador off the Eastern Cape three weeks ago - told the BBC.
As Achi's owners awaited their repatriation, the authorities ruled the dog had to be put down as it was in the country illegally and presented a "bio-security risk".
But following an outcry this week and a petition to save Achi's life, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announced a last-minute U-turn.
"We know that Achi is in good hands and healthy and well," Mr Lambinon from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
