Basset Hound Saves Own Life by Calling Emergency Number

By Kelli Bender Mar 28th 2012

A police team in the U.K. responding to an emergency call found an unusual individual in need: George the Basset Hound. According to The Sun, the 2-year-old dog accidentally tangled himself in the cord of a house phone, wrapping the wire around his neck.In a panic from choking, the dog began pawing at the phone and luckily dialed 999, the United Kingdom's version of 911.

The operator who received George's miraculous call and heard his heaving breathing and strangled choking told police she believed there was a person being attacked on the other line. Officials raced to the dog's West Yorkshire home to find it empty.

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While the cops feverishly searched the house for a human in distress, it was a neighbor, Paul Walker, who discovered George choking and wrapped up in the phone cord. Walker said the dog seemed terrified. He went to work quickly, tearing the phone apart and freeing the canine from the tightly wound cord.

When the police discovered what happened, they had a good laugh and explained to Walker the little information they had to go on when responding to the call.

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George's owner, college student Lydia Brown, is also relieved and a bit surprised. Brown says that usually her dog is pretty "dopey" and spends most of his time chewing socks. Good thing George had a moment of clarity--or perhaps pure luck--and dialed 999 to save his life.

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