A Siberian husky who cheated death following a car crash has battled back to become a champion sled-racing dog.
Crystal ended up in a rescue centre when her owners could no longer pay for soaring vet bills after she suffered serious injuries in a car accident.
And it looked like the dog's days were numbered - as it was almost certain she would be put to sleep.
But then Thomas Edwards, an Edinburgh-based Siberian husky owner, stepped in and offered her a home after spotting her at the Dog's Trust rehoming centre in West Calder.
He said: "I knew the best thing for Crystal's recovery would be to spend time with other Siberian Huskies for companionship
"She is a little miracle.
"At first she wouldn't entertain another dog, now she happily plays with dogs and loves meeting new people."
After Crystal recovered from any physical injuries, Thomas decided to see whether she would be able to enjoy sled-racing with his two other huskies - Euro and Bracken.
Siberian huskies are bred to be able to run long distances, but he feared she may have been too badly hurt to be able to race competitively.
Thomas said: "We worried that Crystal's injuries would stop her, but we built up her strength and stamina with walks and swimming, and slowly introduced her to racing.
"She now runs a three-dog team, and they have so many rosettes we've lost count.
"Racing has given her a new lease of life, and in turn she has given us one too.
"She is a big part of our family now, and we love her to bits."
Crystal, who will be three in August, suffered a broken front leg and serious lacerations to both hind legs following the crash last October.
After receiving surgeries and treatment for her injuries, the pooch went to her new home in March.
Husky racing is becoming increasingly popular in Scotland.
Every year since 1984, mushers from across the UK gather near the Cairngorms for the biggest event in the UK sled-dog racing calendar - Aviemore Sled Dog Rally, run by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain.
The race, which is run on forest trails around Loch Morlich, attracts more than 1,000 sled dogs, with teams of between two and eight dogs pulling a sled around a trail up to seven miles long.
Along with Siberian huskies, race dogs include Alaskan malamutes, samoyeds, Greenland dogs and Canadian eskimo dogs - the pedigree breeds of dogs first bred to pull sleds in Arctic conditions hundreds of years ago.
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