It was a normal day for Chris Totterer when he passed out with no one home. That’s when his dog alerted his neighbor, which ultimately saved his life.
SPOKANE, Wash. — A local dog brought a new meaning to “Man’s Best Friend” after he alerted neighbors that his owner was having a medical emergency and, ultimately, saved his life.
Chris Totterer was found unconscious in his Spokane home on Jan. 31. Thankfully, Totterer’s dog, Milo, acted quickly and began barking to let the neighbors know something was wrong. Milo’s odd behavior led neighbors to contact Totterer’s wife, who quickly rushed home and found her husband.
Jan. 31 started as a perfectly normal day for Totterer and his wife, Stephanie Smart.
“I was perfectly fine,” Totterer recalled. “I went and passed my real estate broker exam.”
Later that day, Totterer said he opened the door to let Milo play outside.
Less than an hour later, Smart received a text message from her neighbor while at work. It was an audio message of Milo barking.
That bark was alerting people that something was wrong.
“I could kind of hear the distress in Milo’s voice, and it scared me,” Smart said.
Smart said Milo’s barking prompted her to call Totterer. However, she called him nearly half a dozen times and wasn’t able to get ahold of him.
“And so I kind of got, you know, that eerie feeling,” she said.
Smart rushed home and found her husband unconscious on his bed. Had she not arrived when she did, she estimated Totterer would have remained home alone and unconscious for at least four more hours.
Totterer’s doctors believe he collapsed due to high blood sugar, as he is diabetic. He spent the next two days in the hospital,
“Sat down on the bed and next thing I knew, I woke up at 1 a.m. on Thursday morning with a roomful of strangers,” he recalled.
Had Milo not alerted the neighbors, Totterer said he may not be alive. Just a week later, he said he is already feeling better.
“Extremely grateful,” he said. “You know, I know I’m here because Milo did what he did. And I love him even more.”
