A golden retriever named Polly is being credited with saving her owner’s life after she sensed a medical emergency in the middle of the night. The family, residing in County Fermanagh, brought Polly home as a puppy five years ago, where she quickly formed a tight-knit bond with Adam. Although the dog connected well with both owners, she became inseparable from Adam, frequently joining him for morning runs and maintaining a constant presence by his side.
The incident took place during a quiet night in March 2024. After putting their one-year-old son, Alfie, to bed, the couple retired for the evening with Polly resting in the utility room below. At approximately 1:30 a.m., persistent barking from the dog awakened the wife. Disturbed by the uncharacteristic noise, she checked on Adam and discovered he was struggling to breathe, appearing as though he were choking. When he failed to respond to attempts to wake him, she realized he was unconscious.
In a state of panic, she contacted 999 and received guidance from paramedics. Acting on their instructions, she moved Adam to the floor and performed CPR for roughly seven or eight minutes while he suffered from cardiac arrest. Following the emergency, Adam spent three weeks in intensive care. During his hospitalization, the family noted that Polly remained distressed, whimpering and clearly aware that something was wrong.
The couple attributes Adam’s survival entirely to Polly’s timely intervention, noting her unique ability to sense environmental changes. In recognition of her actions, Adam nominated both his wife and their dog for a Heart Hero award through the British Heart Foundation, with Polly subsequently winning the annual CPR hero title. Today, the dog remains an integral part of the family. While Adam continues his recovery and has scaled back their shared exercise to gentle walks, the bond between the two remains as strong as ever. The report also notes that panic-stricken, I rang 999 and the paramedics talked me through what I should do. The report also notes that i’ve loved golden retrievers since I was a child because I grew up with one. The report also notes that we got Polly as a puppy and she was everything we’d hoped for: loving and smart. The report also notes that at around half past one, I was woken up by the sound of Polly barking. The report also notes that i was startled and confused – it was unusual for her to bark so loudly in the middle of the night. The report also notes that who was lying beside me, and I noticed that he was breathing strangely; he looked as if he was choking, i turned to look at Adam. The report also notes that i jumped on top of him to try to wake him but he wasn’t responding – he was unconscious.
