Samantha (Sam), a 9-year-old West Highland White Terrier was afraid of the lawnmower,
so when her owner Paul Manikowski of Dallas, TX had yard work to do, she happily
sat inside and kept a safe eye on him through the French doors.
Suddenly, Sam began to bark frantically which was uncharacteristic of the pet. Paul's
wife, Paulla, was alerted by the barking and went to investigate. Paulla found that
her husband had collapsed on the patio and was in cardiac and respiratory arrest.
Because Sam had alerted Paulla to the situation, she was able to call 911 and give
her husband chest compressions which kept his airway open. She says that she would
not have been able to perform this life-saving technique had Sam not alerted her
in time. "She's our little heroine," says Paulla.
Sam's heroic deed was rewarded by her veterinarian, Dr. Stephanie Chritton, who
nominated Sam for the Texas Animal Hall of Fame. Sam was inducted in the Hall of
Fame during the Dallas County VMA meeting earlier this year. Her owners, Paul and
Paulla, were there to accept the award.