N.H. Officers Save Choking Dog

Feb. 11, 2014
A trio of Farmington officers rescued the 10-pound pooch after a bone became lodged in its throat.

FARMINGTON, N.H. -- For the second time in just weeks, Sgt. Scott Orlando assisted in the rescue of a four-legged member of the community when Mit, a friendly little dog, spent part of his Saturday night at the police station.

There, a trio of Farmington officers rescued the 10-pound pooch after a dental bone became lodged deep in his throat, impeding his breathing.

"He definitely would've died if they didn't pull it out," said Mit's owner, Nicole Dale, 28. "They went above and beyond. He wouldn't have made it if he had to go to the vet because he wasn't breathing."

After returning from a trip to the grocery store with her mother, Dale gave Mit, her pomeranian-poodle-mutt mix, a dental bone. Though he's chewed the bones many times, Saturday night Mit swallowed the bone and started choking.

"It was scary, he was choking to death," said Dale of her best friend.

Dale's mother, Lisa Dale, rushed the dog to the police station, the closest place she could think of in the chaos of the moment. There, officers responded quickly saving the pet with a pair of pliers."We weren't able to reach it with just our hands," said Detective Matt Embrey. "With everyone holding the dog down, I reached in with pliers and pulled the bone fragment out."

As Embrey worked to remove the bone fragment which was lodged sideways deep in Mit's throat, Officer Tom McNulty and Sgt. Scott Orlando, along with Lisa Dale, held down the squirming dog.

"It was a joint effort by all three officers and Lisa," said Embrey. "Everyone was just trying to keep the dog from struggling."

The removal was a success and soon Mit was running all over the station.

"He was so happy and excited, running around wagging his tail," said Embrey. "We tried to give him water but all he wanted to do was play."

The three officers were happy to assist in saving Mit.

"It felt good to be able to help out," said Embrey.

"It's just what we do," said Orlando, who saved a dog from a well just weeks ago in late December. "It's great to be able to help people within the community. And, it's good to know people will turn to us in different types of emergencies," he added.

"I'm happy the officers were able to assist a person in need and I'm very happy that the public has faith in our department to be able to rise to the challenge in unusual situations," Lt. Jay Drury said.

Orlando commended McNulty for his foresight in getting gloves which helped him safely hold Mit's mouth open and Embrey for his composure in pulling the fragment out with the pliers. "It was a collaborative effort," he said.

"I don't know how you thank someone for saving your best friend's life," said Nicole Dale. "I'm so grateful."

Mit is now happily home, spending his days with Nicole's 4-month old daughter, Kamdyn Ferguson.

"He wasn't really sure about having baby sister at first, but now he's warming up to her," Dale said.

"Being a dog owner, I know how important dogs are to a home," said Orlando, who owns two dogs.

"They're like children in some homes," he said. "We try to treat them that way."

Copyright 2014 - Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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