Joao Augusto noticed a small dog on the balcony of an apartment building and the dog was climbing onto the railing and barking. Augusto knew he had to do something or the sweet shih tzu named Mel would be in danger if he fell to the pavement below.

The caretaker of the building noticed Augusto running and let him in the gate. He says he didn’t really know what was going on, but he knew that Augusto was in a hurry and went with him to help.

Augusto positioned himself where he thought the dog might land if it fell and held his arms up to be ready when it happened. He knew he’d only have one chance to save the dog and he wanted to be sure he was in the right place.

Before he knew it the dog slipped from the balcony and came crashing towards the ground. The 100-foot fall could have been fatal, but Augusto was able to break the dogs fall. He hangs onto the dog long enough to break the fall and save the dog before the little white dog freed himself from his arms.

Augusto says he was on the floor for a few seconds in the video, but it was from relief for being in the right place at the right time. He says it was a joint effort between him and the caretaker. The little dog was unharmed thanks to their quick thinking.

The owner of the apartment has since installed a net to keep Mel safe and sound on the balcony. Check out the video of the heroic rescue below and be sure to share it with your family and friends.