Dog Strangled by Phone Cord Saves His Own Life by Dialing Emergency Number

vetstreet.com ^ | MARCH 28, 2012 | LAURA CROSS

[expat1000]

George, a 2-year-old Basset Hound from South Heindley, West Yorkshire, U.K., was strangled by a phone cord — and miraculously saved his own life by calling 999, the British equivalent of 911, reports The Sun.

George knocked over a heavy-duty, old-fashioned phone in owner Steve Brown’s home; he became tangled in the cord and wound up with it wrapped around his neck. Somehow, George — in the midst of choking — managed to dial 999 with his paw.

The emergency operator heard heavy breathing and gasping on the other end and alerted the authorities, who entered the house with the help of a neighbor, Paul Walker, who had a key.

[expat1000]

[expat1000]

ping

[Slings and Arrows]

"I can't talk now - I'm a little horse."

[expat1000]

Great photo! That is a Basset as well, isn’t it?

[Slings and Arrows]

I believe so - I stole it from here. [WARNING: F-bomb in title, but many cute pix.]

[Cvengr]

ping

[skr]

Lol!

[Slings and Arrows]

I love bad puns.

[Sacajaweau]

Uhhhh....Just one more thing....

I'm an heir of Mr. Columbo's dog. This was no accident!!

And...uhh....just one more thing....check the doghouse of Ralph down the road. See if my friend Mary has been "hanging" around there.

[plain talk]

Ping

[SaraJohnson]

Lydia Brown, the daughter of George’s owner, expressed equal amazement at the Basset’s lifesaving feat, telling The Sun, “He’s really dopey and just likes to chew socks.”

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LOL~! Now he calls 999 in an emergency, too.

[the invisib1e hand]

Truly LOL @ title.

[pineybill]

As the slave to our third bassett, I find the story very credible. Most likely, there was an infinitesimally small piece of some foodstuff or other near the phone which piqued the dogs exceptional olfactory skills- second only to that of the bloodhound. In the process of the hunt, the phoneline became coiled.

These dogs are not the brightest bulbs in the lamp - they drool, smell, shed,whine, and are stubborn as all get out - but they have such a wonderful personality and are basically big mushes. And while they like to rest, on the hunt they can move quickly.

[Colorado Doug]

Good thing it didn’t happen in the USA. A SWAT team would have been called out and shot the dog first, asked questions later.

[Excellence]

A Basset Hound scaled our six-foot block wall to get at our poodle. She had the oddest damned puppies I’ve ever seen, and every one of them was able to scale that wall at any time.