A Brazilian man is being hailed as a hero after he saved a dog that had fallen from a ninth-story balcony.

Joao Augusto was in the right place at the right time when he was walking through Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paolo earlier this month.

He heard a bark coming from an apartment almost 100 feet above him. When he looked up, he saw that there was a Shih Tzu that was in danger of falling off the balcony.

The complex’s caretaker, Paulo Narciso, had reportedly opened the door of the building when Augusto ran up and asked for help.

As the caretaker ran up to see if the dog’s owner was home, Augusto went back outside to keep an eye on the Shih Tzu – and then it fell.

Nearby CCTV footage shows Augusto positioned under the dog with arms outstretched. When it falls, it slips through Augusto’s arms and knocks him to the ground. Then, it runs away unharmed.

“I knew that I wouldn’t be able to catch her but I was aware that I could cushion the fall,” Augusto told the Daily Mail. “I was on the floor for a few seconds, but it was from relief.”

Despite the dicey nature of the impromptu rescue mission, both Augusto and the Shih Tzu named Mel were confirmed to be okay after the incident. According to reporters, the dog’s owner requested to remain anonymous, but she says that she has since installed protective netting over the balcony so Mel won’t repeat her experience.

THIS is the moment a heroic neighbour was able to catch a dog falling 100ft from a ninth floor balcony and save its life.

A security camera at the apartment block in the city of Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, caputured the startling scenes as the pup lands in the man’s arms.

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In the video, Joao Augusto can be seen stood next to a parked car looking up.

He then takes a step to his side as the white dog comes flying towards the ground at high speed.

Augusto manages to break the pooch’s fall with his arms and is sent crashing to the ground by the impact.

The dog, a female Shitzu named Mel, amazingly survived the fall and can be seen running off in the clip.

Local media report that Mel had fallen 98 feet from the ninth-floor flat where she lives.

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Augusto had reportedly spotted the Shitzu barking and climbing the railing on the balcony from an adjacent flat and rushed down to try and save the dog’s life if she fell.

He said: “I asked for a towel or a sheet to help in some way, but there wasn’t enough time. Then, she fell from the ninth floor. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to catch her but I was aware that I could cushion the fall.

“I was on the floor for a few seconds but it was from relief. I think that I was in the right place at the right time. I did what I could, the most I could to help. It was a joint effort with the caretaker who acted quickly to help the dog. It was a happy ending.”

The caretaker of the building, Paulo Narciso, had reportedly opened the gate of the building for Augusto when he came sprinting towards him.

(WATCH the clip below)