Golden Retriever Saves Owner from Choking

Today, a Calvert, Maryland woman is thanking her 2 year-old golden retriever for achieving an amazing feat: saving her life. The woman, 45 year-old Debbie Parkhurst, was choking on a piece of apple on Friday (March 23^rd), when her dog Toby "performed the Heimlich maneuver" and cleared her windpipe.

SUPERDOG TO THE RESCUE

Debbie Parkhurst told reporters at the Cecil Whig newspaper that while home alone on Friday with her two dogs, a piece of the apple she was eating became lodged in her throat. She tried performing the Heimlich maneuver on herself but was unsuccessful. Per her story, she then tried beating on her chest in an effort to remove the fruit. But that did not work either. At that point, Parkhurst, a jewelry maker, said that Toby then stood on his hind legs and pushed Parkhurst to the floor. The dog then began jumping up and down on her chest, thus dislodging the piece of apple from her throat. Parkhurst says of the amazing incident:

"The next think I know, Toby's up on his hind feet and he's got his front paws on my shoulders. He pushed me to the ground, and once I was on my back, he began jumping up and down on my chest."

She claims that after the apple was dislodged, the golden retriever then started licking her face in an effort "to keep her from passing out." Parkhurst claims that doctors told her that she might not have lived if not for the dog's actions.

A STAR IS BORN?

Debbie Parkhurst first brought her story to the Cecil Whig newspaper on Monday (March 26th), but claims she is currently dealing with literally dozens of requests from the media to share the tale once more. She states that she has even been contacted by media outlets such as "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Good Morning America".

"It's just been incredible. Toby has no idea about all the media attention he's getting today," Parkhurst further said of the miracle dog.

It is unclear whether the dog really understood what was happening, or whether he was attempting to play with his owner. But Parkhurst is certain that Toby knew exactly what he was doing. Toby's veterinarian, Doug Foreman, of the Cherry Hill Animal Hospital admitted that he's never heard of a canine performing the Heimlich. Foreman states:

"Toby isn't what you would call the most-trained of dogs. In fact, he's about the last dog I would expect to do something like this."

Debbie Parkhurst and her husband are still mulling over whether to appear on any of the television programs that have requested her appearance. Declaring that she's shy, she claims that she's "so proud of Toby" that she just might accept an invitation.