It’s not everyday that you see a big black dog lounging on a rooftop perch, but if you’re traveling near Norfolk, England, you just might catch a glimpse of Axel.
Axel, a hulking, 100-pound Newfoundland–Labrador Retriever mix, spends his days with his work buddies, relaxing on the peaks of Norfolk’s thatched-roof houses while his owner, Richard Haughton, repairs them.
Haughton, a professional roof thatcher since 1995, found Axel on the job when the pup was only 6-weeks-old.
“We were sitting eating a packed lunch,” Haughton tells the BBC, “Axel was on one side of the scaffolding, we were up over the ridge on the other and he managed to come up the ladder.”
The group adopted the daredevil pup that day, “and he’s been up with us all the time, ever since,” Haughton says of Axel, now 5-years-old.
While Haughton and the guys get to work repairing some of Norfolk’s picturesque thatched roofs, Axel is content to hang out right next to them. “He sits on the ridge and moves along it as we’re working,” Haughton describes.
“He’s very agile and he has never fallen off,” Haughton explains. “He is certainly not frightened in the slightest about heights. It doesn’t worry him at all.”
Having Axel around makes for a great day at work for Haughton and his team, Charlie Tedder and Leyton Rutherford.
“He’s a lovely guy to have around,” Tedder gushes, “such a good dog.”
It’s safe to say that Axel isn’t your typical roofer, but he has become an essential part of the team. In his five years with the thatchers, Axel hasn’t missed a single day on the job.
“He keeps an eye on us,” Haughton jokes, “he’s like a site manager.”
