dog saves owner

Our pets know a lot more about us than we like to think they do. They spend their entire lives focused on the people inside of their family which is why it doesn't always take an animal with special training to recognize when one of their humans are in trouble. There's no shortage of heroic dogs and cats risking their lives to rescue a small child from an aggressive animal or stopping them from falling.

Some dogs have not only alerted families to a house fire but helped get people out of the house. And when it comes the matters of health, many times animals can sense something medically wrong with a person before they show any physical symptoms. These real life four-legged heroes have made it their mission to look out for their humans and Bear is no exception.

Bear is a Siberian husky–golden retriever mix living in Ontario, Canada with his humans Darren and Janice Cropper, and recently joined the ranks of canine hero.

The incident happened in the middle of the night Aug 2022. Bear knew something was wrong with his owner and became determined to wake Janice. The worried dog pounced on the woman repeatedly while howling in her ear. Bear wouldn't stop which caused Janice to open her eyes only to realize Darren was no longer next to her when she rolled over.

"I got up. I thought maybe he was having a coffee sitting down here watching TV," Janice tells CTV.

With all the noise Bear was making, the woman decided it would be best to check out what he was trying to tell her so she followed him downstairs. But when they reached the living room, she was in for a surprise. The dog springs over the couch and onto her husband who was laying unconscious on the floor. Thanks to Bear's insistence on waking Janice, she was able to immediately call for help.

a white ambulance parked on the side of a road Photo by Corey Willett on Unsplash

After being assessed and treated in the emergency department, it was discovered that Darren experienced a massive heart attack and likely shouldn't have made it. The heart attack that the dog owner had was called a 'widow maker' because people don't generally survive it unless they receive pretty immediate CPR. In this particular situation, one maybe wondering who provided the life saving maneuver–Bear.

The pouncing that he did after jumping over the couch were chest compressions. No, Bear isn't a doggy Doogie Howser but saving people is in his DNA. Though he has never had any training, the furry hero is the offspring of two service dogs. According to CTV the family believes Bear continued to jump on his human until he opened his eyes.

Golden Retriever lying on bed Photo by BRUNO CERVERA on Unsplash

"I remember coming around and he was on my chest," Darren tells the outlet. "He wasn’t even trained to do it. He just did it."

Bear's quick action saved Darren's life. The man received an emergency triple bypass and now Bear is being awarded a medal after being inducted in the 2024 Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

"When I first saw him when I got home, he came right to me and jumped in my arms and I just broke down crying. If it wasn’t for him, everything would be a lot different," Darren says emotionally to the Canadian news outlet.

Bear will be formally recognized by Purina at their headquarters in Mississauga, Canada for a special ceremony for the four-legged hero.