By all accounts the baby kangaroo should have not survived the road accident that claimed its mother...but then along came Rex the wonder dog.

The pointer discovered the baby roo, known as a joey, alive in the mother's pouch and took it back to his owner.

"I was so surprised and delighted," said Leonie Allan. "Rex saved the day."

The four-month-old joey's mother was killed by a car near Ms Allan's home in Torquay, Victoria, Australia.

Amazingly, the 10-year-old dog - a cross between a German shorthaired and wirehaired pointer - had been so tender with the joey that it was both calm and unmarked.

"The joey was snuggling up to him, jumping up to him and Rex was sniffing and licking him - it was quite cute," Ms Allan said.

The joey, to be named Rex Jr after his saviour, is now being cared for at Jirrahlinga Wildlife Sanctuary and when he is 18 months old will be released back into the wild.

Director Tehree Gordon said she was amazed by the trusting bond between the two animals.

[dm]