Ezmerelda is a Life Saver

by Vicki Lebovitz
(Chesterland, Ohio)

I picked Ezmerelda out from the litter when she was just 3 weeks old. She is a sweet Aussie Black Lab mix and a twin. I held her sweet little body in my arms and enjoyed the puppy breath. We took her home at 8 weeks and she was so full of life, BAD but full of life. As she grew she seemed to be getting smarter and smarter, but who doesn't think that their dog is smart??

In 2005 My husband was off work (he was a master mechanic at a dealership) and I was at work (at a Pontiac dealership as a service writer). He called me and we met for lunch. I asked him if he felt OK because he looked odd. He said he was fine and I left it at that. Lunch was great and I headed back to work and he headed home. When he got home he didn't feel good and made it as far as the back porch and went to lay down on the couch to take a little nap.

About an hour and a half into his nap Ezmerelda started barking, but that is normal for her. Although smart, she barks at the wind. When my husband didn't pay any attention she started pawing at him, licking him, jumping on him and even biting him (she is NOT a biter). Finally he got up and was very irritated with her. She nudged him with her nose into the house as if she was pushing him.

When he finally got into the house he realized something was wrong. He was short of breath and dizzy......he was having a heart attack. By the time EMS got to the house his heart was only beating at 42 beats a minute. EMS said if it wasn't for Ezmerelda I would have come home and found my husband dead on the couch.

She is 7 now and our little hero.