My husband, Adam, and I had always planned to have a big family and that journey began when we got our dog, Polly, five years ago. I’ve loved golden retrievers since I was a child because I grew up with one. We got Polly as a puppy and she was everything we’d hoped for: loving and smart.
She immediately connected with both of us, but became inseparable from Adam. They would go for morning runs together; Polly could always be found wagging her tail by his side. This bond proved to be lifesaving.
It was a normal Monday night in March 2024 at our home in County Fermanagh. Adam and I had put our one-year-old son, Alfie, to sleep, Polly was resting in her bed in the utility room directly below our bedroom, and we went up to sleep. At around half past one, I was woken up by the sound of Polly barking. I was startled and confused – it was unusual for her to bark so loudly in the middle of the night. I turned to look at Adam, who was lying beside me, and I noticed that he was breathing strangely; he looked as if he was choking. I jumped on top of him to try to wake him but he wasn’t responding – he was unconscious.
Panic-stricken, I rang 999 and the paramedics talked me through what I should do. I got Adam out of the bed and on to the floor and began to perform CPR for seven or eight minutes. He was in cardiac arrest. The whole thing was like a horror movie. I didn’t know what to do but I knew I had to act quickly.
Adam was taken to hospital and spent the next three weeks in intensive care. Polly was whimpering the entire time he was away, aware that something odd was going on.
It was Polly who saved Adam’s life that night. If she hadn’t woken me up as quickly as she did, I dread to think what would have happened. She’s always been acutely in tune with her environment – I think that’s why she was able to sense that Adam was in trouble. After he recovered, Adam nominated Polly and me for a Heart Hero award, organised by the British Heart Foundation, and Polly won the annual award for CPR hero.
The fame hasn’t completely gone to Polly’s head. She is still the same as she ever was: a lovable dog who’s as much involved in our family life as any member of our household. Adam is in recovery and has to take it easy these days. He’s still exercise buddies with Polly, but now they just go for walks instead of a morning run.
