Golden retriever saw owner choking on food and began performing Heimlich maneuver with a twist — it saved her life

The woman's dog became her savior after she failed to dislodge a piece of food that was stuck in her throat.

PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO

(L) A woman coughing after eating food. (R) A Golden Retriever sitting in a room (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | dward Jenner and Helena Lopes)

Service dogs are trained to assist people with chronic illnesses and fetch help or their medications if they fall into a medical crisis. Little do people know, canines don't always need rigorous training to rescue their humans. One such incident took place in Calvert, Kentucky back in 2007. According to NBC News, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever named Toby ended up saving his owner using a surprising method. It was just another day in the life of 45-year-old Debbie Parkhurst when she was enjoying an apple in her home.

A woman eating an apple (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ivan Samkov)

All of a sudden, a piece of apple got lodged in her throat. In situations like these where a person chokes on something, the Heimlich maneuver is something that can be performed to save their lives. Parkhurst tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver on herself but she failed to bring out the piece of apple. Thankfully, her pet Toby was around and he noticed Parkhurst struggling to breathe as she started beating her chest. The canine got involved to save his owner and started jumping up and down on Parkhurst's chest when she couldn't help herself anymore.

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"The next thing I know, Toby's up on his hind feet and he's got his front paws on my shoulders," she recalled. "He pushed me to the ground and once I was on my back, he began jumping up and down on my chest." Due to Toby's own method of performing the Heimlich maneuver on Parkhurst, the apple dislodged from her throat and she could live to tell the tale. Toby kept licking her face afterward to keep her from passing out. "I literally have paw print-shaped bruises on my chest. I'm still a little hoarse but otherwise, I'm okay," Parkhurst recalled. "The doctor said I probably wouldn't be here without Toby. I keep looking at him and saying, 'You’re amazing."'

A woman hugging a golden retriever (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Blue Bird)

If a pet dog is capable of saving his human's life then one can't imagine how efficient the trained police dogs are. In a similar story of a canine saving the day, a retired 12-year-old German Shepherd named Bear relied on his gut feeling and saved a life. Bear was diagnosed with several physical issues before he was dismissed from duty. It was Bear's 12th birthday and he was taking a walk with his owner Julia Pope, a former police officer. The walk was specifically aimed toward Bear’s recovery, following a major surgery. During the walk, the canine spotted a person in distress and tried to warn Pope.

Bear spotted a vulnerable missing person in the bushes who couldn't even get up on his own. The authorities had been searching for the man without any success so far. Bear directed the police through a dark and desolate place to track down the man and save his life. “I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity,” Pope recalled. Despite being old, retired and on his way to recovery, the German shepherd outdid himself and played a vital role in this impromptu rescue. For his exemplary service yet again, the canine was presented the “Thin Blue Paw Lifesaver Award.”