TORONTO — A pooch that displayed dogged determination when his owner was in trouble has proven that some heroes come with four paws.
Snickers, a 4-year-old border collie/pointer cross, was inducted into the 45th annual Purina Animal Hall of Fame last week at PawsWay in Toronto. Snickers saved the life of his owner, Oshawa’s Gregory Gould, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects his airway.
Early one morning in March 2012, Snickers was found pacing in a neighbor’s driveway, barking incessantly and blocking the neighbor when he tried to leave for work.
The neighbor called the police, and Const. Rob Garnett and his partner responded.
“He noticed the dog was going from one house to the other,” said Gould’s son, Jeff Gould.
New to the neighborhood, the family didn’t recognize the dog. However the daughter suggested he lived next door, and when the police officers peered inside the window, they could see a man’s legs on the floor. They immediately broke through the door and found Gould, who had collapsed after the machine that supplied him with air had stopped working, and called paramedics.
“Snickers ran in and sat beside my dad until the paramedics took him away,” said the owner’s son, grateful that Snickers saved his father’s life.
Jeff Gould said it was clear that Snickers had banged against the door repeatedly until he was able to break some of the glass and open the latch to get outside.
But that wasn’t the dog’s only obstacle to getting help that morning.
“He broke down the barricade in the back yard,” he said.
Snickers’ keen intuition, persistence, physical strength and determination landed him in the Hall of Fame.
“The tenacity of our 2013 inductees to rescue and protect people from harm — whether it’s a wild animal, house fire, criminal or a medical emergency — showcases the connection animals have to humans and the physical risks they will take to keep them safe,” said Mary Siemiesz, executive director of the Purina PetCare Legacy.
Gould had rescued Snickers when he was abused and needed a home.
“My father has always rescued animals … It was his turn to be rescued,” said Jeff Gould.
For his efforts, Snickers’ rewards from Purina included a plaque, a medal, a portrait, toys and food.
Three other dogs were recognized for their bravery this year. Since its inception in 1968, 159 animals have been inducted into the hall of fame.
~ Courtesy of Mississauga.com
Tags: dog alerts neighbor, dog gets help, dog hero, Dog Saves Life, dogs saves owner
