Treasured Pet Saves Life Of Chiswick Librarian

Performs doggy-style 'Heimlich' manoeuvre on choking owner

Chiswick Library worker Jenny Deakin says she owes her life to her pet dog Lily-Rose, after a choking incident which she says could have killed her.

Jenny, who lives in Brentford, was enjoying a cuppa with a Rich Tea biscuit one evening at home last year, when a piece of biscuit lodged in her throat and she couldn't cough it up.

She recalls: "I began to feel faint, and I knew I needed to get to the phone and use the intercom to tell my mum, who was upstairs, to get help but I never made it to the phone".

Jenny collapsed on the floor and Lily-Rose, a Papillion Cross who she has owned for five years, became aware of her distress.

"I was lying there choking and Lily-Rose just looked at me. Then she suddenly jumped down from the sofa and landed on my chest. She's a bit heavier than she looks, she weighs 7.5 kgs, and somehow she landed on the right spot and I coughed hard and dislodged the food."

Jenny says it was probably a coincidence that the dog saved her life, and she does not believe a dog would know exactly what to do. "She could see I was in distress and she always wants to be near me, I think she just hit the right spot."

A very shaken Jenny spent the night trying to calm herself down after her frightening experience. Next day when she told family and a few close friends, they couldn't believe the story.

However, there have been documented cases of dogs performing ' Heimlich' style manoeuvres on their choking owners, and Jenny has now nominated Lily-Rose for two awards.

"I'm asking people to vote for her in the High Life award in Dog's Monthly- the public vote ends on Sunday, she says

"Please can you take a few minutes to vote for Lily-Rose by emailing competition@dogsmonthly.co.uk. You put Highlife Best Friends Trophy in the subject heading and type Vote Lily-Rose in the main message."

She has also nominated Lily-Rose for a Crufts 'Friends for Life' award, which recognise brave and well-deserving dogs who have helped their owners in a vital and life-changing way.

Jenny, says that since the story broke, people have been coming up to her at work in the library asking about about Lily-Rose.

The media focus on the family has been almost overwhelming at times recently, says Jenny, but Lily-Rose, who is a re-homed dog, loves the attention, and "really loves having her photograph taken". And Lily-Rose, who Jenny believes originally came from a puppy farm, is no stranger to the limelight.

The two appeared in a Channel 4 TV show Superstar Dogs where dogs compete in a series of challenges from sprint ball to penalty shoot out as well as a tough dogstacle course. They also appeared on the Alan Titchmarsh Show.

January 29, 2016