This is the dramatic moment an elderly woman rescued a pet dog whose leash was caught in an elevator door.

CCTV footage shows the mini poodle inside the lift with the end of its lead stuck outside as the pensioner stepped into the mechanical chamber in Gansu, China.

The unsuspecting resident then pressed the button to close the sliding doors, causing the rope to tighten and the hapless pooch to be lifted slightly as they descended on October 12.

Seeing this, the woman quickly put down a red container and plastic bag she was carrying before reaching up to help the dog.

She can be seen struggling to remove the collar from the pooch's neck before pressing the emergency button to stop the elevator.

Moments later, the pensioner successfully freed the animal from its collar and held it in her arms to comfort it.

The dog did not sustain any injuries from the incident.