Heimlich Maneuver by policeman saves Shih Tzu dog in Connecticut
A Shih Tzu dog waits with bands in its hair during the XVIIIth International Dog exhibition in Prague in 2009.
A policeman in Connecticut went above and beyond the call of duty this week when he saved the life of a choking Shih Tzu dog by performing the Heimlich Maneuver on it, according to the local news service Patch.
Patch said West Hartford K-9 officer Tom Lazure is trained in canine first aid and was called to the scene of the stricken pooch when no animal control officer was available.
More from GlobalPost: Americans spent record amount of money grooming their pets last year
The Hartford Courant reported yesterday that the owners of the dog, named Harry, became frantic after it began to choke on a piece of raw hide.
Named for Henry Heimlich, the famed maneuver involves the applying sudden pressure to the abdomen in order to dislodge food blocking a person’s air passageways. The version intended to be practiced on humans is described by the Heimlich Institute here.
More from GlobalPost: Promises, pitfalls await investors in Burma’s frontier economy
According to The Associated Press, Lazure was able to perform a modified Heimlich on the dog and then pull the raw hide treat out of the dog’s mouth.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!