Chilly saves her owner before she is able to suffocate.
Heidi Parker of Palmyra, Virginia was napping after receiving an allergy shot. She had also received a higher than usual dose of antihistamine. After about an hour, Heidi's 3-year-old English Bulldog mix Chilly became alarmed and tried to wake her owner. Finally Chilly succeeded and when Heidi awoke, she discovered that her throat was so swollen, that she could barely breathe.
It was discovered that Heidi was having a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to her allergy injection. If Chilly had not awakened her, her throat could have closed completely, causing her to suffocate while she slept. Because of Chilly's actions, Heidi was able to call 911 and received treatment in time.
Because of her actions, Chilly was awarded the Pets of Valor Award that is sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States. The Pets of Valor Award "celebrates the bonds between people and their rescued or adopted pets by shining the spotlight on a few of the acts of bravery and devotion that happen all the time."
Following her stay at the hospital, Heidi updated her Facebook page saying "I want to thank the FSPCA (the Fluvanna SPCA where Chilly was adopted) for allowing me to rescue Chilly. I'm not sure who rescued who here, but Chilly is definitely my Guardian angel!"
As a thank you to the shelters and rescues that cared for these animals before they found their forever home, BOGO Bowl (Buy One Give One) is donating 500 pounds of dog food to the shelter or rescue organization of Heidi's choice.