A Canadian military veteran credits his one-year-old Siberian Husky, Bear, with saving his life after he suffered a massive heart attack in August 2022.

Darren Cropper, 57, says he likely wouldn’t have survived the medical emergency without Bear’s quick actions.

Cropper recounted waking up in the middle of the night feeling unwell and deciding to go downstairs to watch TV.

As he stepped into the basement, he suddenly blacked out. When he came to, he found Bear repeatedly jumping on his chest.

Bear’s continuous efforts left paw prints on Cropper’s chest, as he leaped and howled for hours, ultimately alerting Cropper’s wife, Janice, 59, and son, Matthew, 29. Upon finding him on the floor, they immediately called 911.

Paramedics rushed Cropper to North Bay Regional Health Centre and later transferred him to a larger hospital’s cardiac unit, where doctors determined that the heart attack was caused by the closure of arteries from his right lung to his heart.

Medics later informed Cropper that Bear’s actions had kept his blood flowing long enough for emergency responders to arrive.

“If Bear hadn’t jumped on my chest, I wouldn’t be alive,” Cropper told the National Post. “He basically did Puppy CPR. It’s like it was instinct—both his parents were service dogs, so maybe it’s in his blood.”

Although Cropper couldn’t see Bear while recovering in the hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions, the loyal pup recognized him through video calls. “He saw me on the screen and just went nuts!” Cropper said.

Bear’s heroic actions have since earned him a place in the Purina Hall of Fame, which honors animals who have saved human lives. Reflecting on Bear’s bravery, Cropper said, “My wife calls him our Care Bear. I call him my Hero Puppy.”

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