A remarkable tale of survival unfolded in Bonfield, Ontario, where a military veteran's life was saved by his devoted puppy through an extraordinary act of instinct.
Darren Cropper, 57, a retired Canadian Forces weapons specialist, experienced a severe heart attack in August 2022. His one-year-old dog Bear performed what can only be described as "puppy CPR" by repeatedly jumping on his chest – with such force that it left paw prints on his torso.
The incident occurred when Cropper, unable to sleep, went to his basement to watch television. He collapsed on the stairs, losing consciousness. Bear's persistent howling alerted Cropper's son Matthew, 29, who woke his mother Janice, 59. Following Bear's cries, they found Cropper unconscious on the basement floor and immediately called emergency services.
Paramedics later revealed that Bear must have been jumping on Cropper's chest for hours, effectively maintaining blood flow that kept him alive until help arrived. Cropper was rushed to North Bay Regional Health Centre and later transferred to Sudbury for emergency open heart surgery, where doctors discovered his right lung arteries to his heart had completely shut down.
"If Bear hadn't jumped on my chest, I wouldn't be alive," Cropper stated. "No one taught him that, but both his parents were service dogs. I guess it's in him, his instinct."
Bear, a Siberian Husky-Golden Retriever mix with distinctive heterochromatic eyes – one crystal blue and one dark brown – has since been recognized for his heroic actions. The dog will be inducted into the Purina Hall of Fame for 2024, joining an elite group of 194 animals honored for their heroic acts.
During Cropper's hospital recovery amid pandemic restrictions, Bear maintained contact through video calls, showing obvious excitement at seeing his owner on screen. The bond between the pair remains stronger than ever, with Cropper affectionately referring to Bear as his "Hero Puppy" while his wife calls him their "Care Bear."
Bear will receive his hero medal at an upcoming Purina picnic in Toronto, where his remarkable story of loyalty and instinct will be celebrated, proving that sometimes our four-legged companions can be our greatest lifesavers.
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