Frantic poodle's non-stop barking forced woman to check the window — her instant 911 call saved her neighbor's life
Pets are known to be great company for humans because of all the love they bring with them. However, quite a few pets step up for their owners during times of emergency and trouble as well. A woman credited her dog for saving her life during a life-threatening medical situation. The Wyoming resident, Susan Denker, lived alone with her toy Poodle, Lily de Fluer Denker. She had suffered from a severe heart attack and was lying unconscious on her bed when Lily managed to get help for her and saved her life, as reported by Cowboy State Daily on Saturday, November 22, 2025.
Fortunately, right when Denker experienced a heart attack, her friend, Karen, visited her condo to help her clean her house. She rang the bell multiple times, but nobody answered the door. She was about to leave when Lily started barking to get her attention. The dog jumped around and changed positions until she managed to get Karen's attention to the situation. "Lily kept barking at her and then running to the bedroom and then back to the window and barking at her and again running to the bedroom. She did that four or five times until Karen figured out, 'She's trying to tell me something,'" Denker recounted. Karen eventually went to the back window of the house to understand what was going on.
There she immediately spotted Denker lying on the bed, unconscious. Karen immediately called Emergency Medical Services for Denker. They broke down the front door to check on the woman. She was rushed to the hospital and received life-saving treatment at the right moment because of Lily. She explained that if Lily hadn’t signaled Karen, and if Karen hadn’t listened to the dog’s warning, she probably wouldn’t have survived, as there had been a critical moment when she was pronounced dead. While Denker received treatment at the hospital, Lily had to stay at a groomer's.
After a long-awaited two months, the moment of reunion arrived when Denker went to pick up Lily. As soon as the pup was released from the crate and put on the counter, she threw her legs around Denker's neck and snuggled inside her shirt. She licked every part of her face, giving her “a full wash.” Both held on to each other very tightly, not letting go. Lily is an inseparable part of Denker's life. "She sleeps on my pillow. I listen to her breathe. It's that intimate of a connection."
Lily stayed with her parent at all times, as she had been professionally trained to detect high blood pressure by feeling neck pulsations with her muzzle. When she senses an abnormal reading, she starts nuzzling the area. "There's a difference between a pet owner and a pet parent, because these animals are an increasingly important part of our society and our social fabric. They are our support systems," Denker reflected. The woman had been on her own for quite some time, since her children moved out, and many dogs had been by her side through it all as loving companions, per the outlet. Lily is now back to her routine life, including walks, naps, and running errands.