A golden retriever named Polly is credited with saving her owner's husband, Adam, after she barked to alert his wife to his cardiac arrest in March 2024. The incident occurred at their home in County Fermanagh.
Polly, who was five years old at the time, woke her owner at approximately 1:30 AM by barking loudly. This unusual behaviour prompted the owner to check on Adam, who was found to be unconscious and breathing strangely. The owner then called 999 and performed CPR for seven or eight minutes until paramedics arrived.
Adam spent three weeks in intensive care following the incident. After his recovery, he nominated Polly and his wife for a British Heart Foundation Heart Hero award, with Polly subsequently winning the annual CPR hero award. Adam is now in recovery and takes walks with Polly instead of their previous morning runs.