A loyal golden retriever is being hailed as a real-life hero after helping to save her owner from a deadly cardiac arrest — proving once again that a dog’s intuition might just be stronger than we think.
In a remarkable story from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, a four-year-old golden retriever named Polly is set to be crowned a “CPR Hero” by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Her quick instincts one fateful night helped her owner, Adam Cooke, survive a heart emergency that could have easily turned tragic.
It all began when Adam’s wife, Hannah Cooke, was jolted awake in the middle of the night by Polly’s barking — an unusual sound, since Polly was known to be a calm, quiet sleeper. “Something about that bark felt urgent,” Hannah recalled. When she turned to check on her husband, she noticed his breathing was uneven… and then it suddenly stopped. That terrifying moment changed everything.
Hannah, who had previously worked as a caregiver, immediately recognized the sound Adam had made. “It was exactly like the final breaths I’d heard before,” she said. Acting purely on instinct, she called an ambulance and began performing CPR — all thanks to Polly’s timely warning, which had given her precious seconds to react.
Paramedics arrived shortly after and continued the life-saving efforts, using a defibrillator seven times before Adam’s heartbeat stabilized. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained unconscious for six days. When he finally woke up, doctors diagnosed him with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. To prevent future episodes, Adam later underwent surgery to have an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator fitted in his chest.
After weeks of recovery, Adam was finally discharged. The reunion with Polly was emotional. “When I saw her again, I just broke down,” he said. “I held her and cried for twenty minutes. She knew. Somehow, she just knew.”
The Cookes firmly believe Polly sensed something was wrong before anyone else did — perhaps even before Adam’s heart stopped. “She was completely in tune with him,” said Hannah. “In that moment, Polly was the first responder. Because of her, I could start CPR right away.”
On Tuesday evening, both Hannah and Polly are being honored as “CPR Heroes” at the BHF’s annual Heart Hero Awards in London — a celebration of bravery, awareness, and life-saving action. The event highlights stories of ordinary people (and animals) whose quick thinking and compassion have made the ultimate difference.
But here’s what makes this story even more fascinating — could dogs truly detect heart issues or medical distress before humans can? Some researchers say yes, pointing to studies where dogs have sensed seizures, drops in blood sugar, and even certain types of cancer. Others argue it’s still an emotional connection more than a medical one. What do you think — pure intuition, or something more? Could our pets truly have a built-in sixth sense for saving lives?