Having a blast: Barrie the rescue dog saved from Syrian rubble by British EOD expert is among the frontrunners for Crufts

A dog who was pulled from rubble in a Syrian war-zone as a terrified puppy by a bomb disposal expert has been announced as a finalist for Crufts.

Former Royal Engineer Sean Laidlaw was working as a bomb disposal expert in Syria when he heard whimpering from the wreckage of a school that had exploded and collapsed in 2018.

Upon further inspection he found the source of the noise was a tiny, abandoned puppy, surrounded by her four dead siblings. He gave the nervous dog food and water.

Mr Laidlaw, 31, now credits Barrie – who is a girl – with saving his life after he struggled with PTSD – and the pooch was announced by James Middleton as one of the five competing for the Friends for Life award at this year’s Crufts.