Firefighters do more than rescue a cat stuck in a tree. They also dislodge vegetables from a dog’s throat.
When Chantelle Hildreth’s 9-pound toy poodle Tuffy started choking on a piece of broccoli late in the evening on March 22, she knew exactly what to do: the Heimlich. She had recently seen on Facebook how to do the maneuver on canines, so she gave it a go.
“He’s so tiny, it was weird doing it,” Hildreth said.
Unfortunately, the broccoli stayed in his windpipe, and Tuffy was starved for air. He was limp and his tongue was turning purple. With the vet’s office closed, Hildreth and her daughter Stormy jumped in the car and drove straight to the Orcas Fire Department, which is just a few minutes from their house.
On their way there, Stormy continuously thumped Tuffy on his back, and the broccoli moved just enough for him to take shallow breaths. When they arrived, firefighter and EMT Cory Harrington immediately set to work assessing the dog’s condition. He was joined by paramedic Patrick Shepler to further dislodge the obstruction, which was already on its way out.