A yellow labrador retriever that lived aboard a 45ft yacht with his owner in California may have contributed to its grounding over the weekend.

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A combination of swell and wind caused the boat to break its mooring off the Santa Cruz municipal wharf and drift towards Seabright State Beach.

But when rescuers attempted to climb aboard, the dog became very aggressive.

Deputy Harbormaster Don Kinnamon told reporters ‘He was just doing his job. When we did actually get a line on, the dog ripped it off with his teeth!. We lost the boat in the surf and it ran aground.”

The dog was unharmed and jumped ashore.

The boat was refloated and returned to Santa Cruz for repairs.

For the full story see Sailworld.com Photo: c/o Sailworld.com