Hero dog story how loyal dog saved owner’s life

Stories of dogs being faithful, clever, and instinctively protective of humans are many. Some are so extraordinary they seem unbelievable. One such example is Polly, a four-year-old golden retriever from County Fermanagh. With a single instinctive action, she helped save her owner’s life in the middle of the night.

Polly’s owners, Adam and Hannah Cooke, never imagined their dog would one day alert them to a life-threatening emergency. One night, at about 01:00 GMT, Polly suddenly barked loudly and urgently. This was unusual for her normally calm and gentle nature, and it immediately woke Hannah. That was the signal of life, and that was the bark.

The next thing Hannah saw as she awoke was Adam, the father, husband, and healthy 37-year-old runner, inhaling weirdly. His breathing was soon all over. Hannah jumped into action without any second bidding. Based on her prior experience as a carer, she immediately identified the symptoms of cardiac arrest and started to give CPR. It is known that every second counts when it comes to cases of cardiac arrest, and each minute actually counts in this case.

Medical Intervention and Adam’s Recovery

Soon after, paramedics came and were forced to administer seven shocks to Adam using a defibrillator onboard the ambulance. He later came to himself 6 days later without knowing how he had escaped death. It was later diagnosed by physicians that he had dilated cardiomyopathy and was implanted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), which serves as a backup against any future rhythm disturbances of the heart.

But the reunion of Adam and Polly was the one that moved each reader of the story. As Adam went home, Polly reacted emotionally, whimpering, nuzzling, and practically crying, and this was a strong indicator of the strong bond between the dog and the human. It was as though she knew quite well what she had done.

Polly’s Lifesaving Role, Key Highlights

• One day, Polly gave an unusual bark in the middle of the night to attract Hannah.
• Hannah found Adam in cardiac arrest and resuscitated him by cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Adam received seven shocks during transportation with paramedics.
• Adam was six days later in the hospital.
• British Heart Foundation awarded Polly a CPR Hero medal.
• Scholars confirm that dogs are capable of detecting physical and emotional human changes.

A Nationally Recognized Canine Hero

This accident has national coverage. Polly was declared a CPR hero by the British Heart Foundation, which awarded her a medal and published her story to inspire others. Their slogan is very straightforward, learn CPR- because it will save lives. The reality is that in the UK, out of ten cardiac arrest patients, only one survives outside hospitals and the chances of survival decline by up to 10 per cent per minute without CPR.

Dog behaviourist Louise Glazebrook stated that dogs detect biological cues that human beings usually overlook. Dogs have more than 220 million scent receptors at their disposal, and therefore, they can detect emotional stress, hormonal changes, and, in certain cases, illness.

A Final Word From Adam

For Adam, there is no doubt:

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them, my wife and my dog.”

Polly is more than a pet, she is a guardian, family member, and true hero