Dog Collapses Outside Park and Stranger Performs CPR to Save Its Life (WATCH)
All dogs go to heaven but heaven's gotta wait a while longer for this one...
Cats may have the market cornered on nine lives but one lucky doggo just got at least two, thanks to the quick life-saving actions of a stranger.
After seeing a 9-year-old boxer collapse a hero named Jay performed CPR and saved the day AND the dog, literally bringing the pooch back to life.
And while the amazing animal rescue happened last January, the video (captured by a bystander) is making the rounds again on social media because it is so DOGGONE good.
Don't go towards the light, Stone. Jay's got you.
When a Day at the Park Went Horribly Wrong
Stone was happily trotting along with his bike-riding human outside a park in Los Angeles, CA when he suddenly collapsed.
In a fortunate turn of events, Jay (or as we like to call him - HERO) just happened to be driving by when he saw the dog go down and heard his owner's screams. He immediately jumped out of his car and jumped straight into action.
Despite the fact that he had never given CPR to a dog before — or anyone for that matter — he knew what he had to do thanks to previously watching YouTube videos. (How we ever survived without YouTube, I don't even know).
Getting down on his hands and knees he fervently began chest compressions. At this point, Stone wasn't breathing. There was no response. Jay then started mouth-to-snout resuscitation. Still nothing. Stone, it seemed, was crossing the rainbow bridge.
As concerned onlookers gathered, Jay refused to give up. He started a second set of compressions, willing the dog back to life.
"I started a second round and about 8 compressions on the second round I felt a jerk in his heart which told me to do one more and that's when he wiggled and was back to breathing again," Jay wrote on an Instagram post of the viral video.
But Jay knew Stone wasn't out of the doghouse yet. He gently held him close to allow the confused dog time to recover, all the while cheering him on with the energy of an NFL football coach cheering on his running back.
It didn't take long. Mere moments after squarely looking death in the face, Stone was clearly alive and kicking.
The happy dog thanked his new best friend in the best way a dog can, with exuberant tail wags and slobbery kisses. Awwwwww.
Video Goes Viral, Capturing the Hearts of Millions of Dog Lovers
@bestfetchdog I had no idea this guy was filming this whole thing. Check out my face when i first looked up and noticed he captured this on video i was like that’s the real mvp lol! #cpr #dogs #livesaving #dogcpr #epicmoment #boxerdog #hero
The amazing rescue video was shared on Jay's Instagram and TikTok accounts @bestfetchdog where it has collectively been viewed a whopping 50 MILLION TIMES. Because: DOGS.
A number of commenters speculated that Stone collapsed because of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy — a genetic disease that affects Boxers. Others said it was because of the heat.
Turns out, it was neither. After the incident, Stone's human took him to a veterinary clinic to get checked out. Jay later updated everyone about the dog's health condition writing that the doctor revealed that the dog's heart and lungs were in perfect condition.
He added that the dog did not suffer a seizure and he was unresponsive possibly because he was over-excited, leading to a collapse.
While most of the commenters on the social media posts praised Jay for his impressive dog CPR skills, there were a few who just couldn't help themselves, criticizing Stone's owner and raking her over the proverbial coals. Jay wasn't having it.
He wrote: "Please be respectful of the owner and her dog, do not judge, things do happen like this. Be happy I was there and the dog is doing fine. They are now doing short walks."
He also commented that it was very cool outside and Stone was not overheated. "Wasn't a heat stroke it was very cool out he wasn't overheated he couldn't breathe and needed CPR and heart restart."
The Importance of Learning CPR
And just because Jay is the goodest hooman on the planet, he also chose to use his fame for good, bringing awareness to the importance of learning CPR — for the sake of our two-legged and FOUR-LEGGED friends.
Even now, a year later, Jay says it's still one of the most emotional days of his life and one he'll never forget.
"The dog was dead you can tell by how he went potty on himself. To this day it still brings tears to my eyes and is one of the most emotional days of my life," he wrote.
This story is about a dramatic dog rescue, yes. But it's also a love story. One that speaks to the unbreakable bond and connection we have with our furry friends and the extraordinary lengths we will go to save them.
After all, dogs truly are a man's best friend.
