GERMANTOWN, Wis. (WITI) — An adopted dog that had trouble finding his forever home saved the life of his owner in true “Lassie” fashion.
It was early in the morning Feb. 13 when a police officer spotted John Boy — a black labrador retriever — running around near County Line Road in Germantown, Wisconsin.
“He stood there and barked a little bit, then I rolled down my window and called to him. Then he wagged his tail and got more friendly until I got out of my car and then he ran a little bit,” said Officer Jeff Gonzalez, with the Germantown Police Department.
It seemed like John Boy had a plan for the officer.
“He pointed me in the right direction,” Gonzalez said.
John Boy led the officer up the street to a house where his owner, Krystal, was laying unresponsive, slumped over in a chair outside her front door, still in her pajamas.
“To be honest with you, I thought she was dead and when I went up, she was very cold to the touch. Her lips were blue, but I was able to determine she was breathing and had a pulse,” Gonzalez said.
He called for help and his partner came running. Together, they brought Krystal inside, stabilized her and rushed her to a hospital.
It may not have been possible if not for her loyal pup. John Boy was adopted and returned three times by different families before he was taken into Krystal’s home. Her daughter says it was meant to be.
“Basically what he told me was, he said that they thought that she was dead. So it’s hard,” said Tianne Wendt, Krystal’s daughter.
But thanks to John Boy’s loyalty, the daughter’s tears are now those of joy.
It’s not clear what happened to Krystal that left her in such dire straits, but her family says she has a heart condition. She was taken to a hospital where doctors are running tests. Her daughter told PIX11 News affiliate FOX6 News she’s stable and looking forward to meeting Gonzalez when she goes home.
