Incredible husky puppy saved his owner's life after a severe heart attack

A Canadian military veteran has told how his puppy Bear incredibly saved his life after he suffered a massive heart attack.

Darren Cropper, 57, said he should have died in August 2022 when he suffered the medical emergency, but Bear immediately sprang into action, jumping up and down on his chest for hours until he was discovered.

The Siberian Husky jumped for so long that it left paw prints on Cropper's chest, the National Post reports.

Medics later told the father, a retired Special Forces weapons specialist, that only Bear's heroic actions saved him from death.

Bear, a one-year-old Siberian Husky, jumped so long that paw prints were left on Cropper's chest

Cropper said his near-death experience occurred in late summer when he woke up in the middle of the night feeling unwell.

He said he decided to go downstairs to watch TV instead of going back to bed because, “Once I'm awake, I'm awake.”

But when he entered his basement, Cropper said everything went black and the next thing he remembered was his one-year-old dog jumping on his chest.

Bear continued to howl and scream, attracting the attention of Darren's wife Janice, 59, and son Matthew, 29.

They found Cropper lying flat on the ground and called 911 to rush him to the hospital.

He was initially transported from his home in Bonfield, Ontario, to the North Bay Regional Health Centre before being transferred to the cardiology department of a larger hospital to undergo open-heart surgery.

Doctors determined that Darren's heart attack was caused by blockage of the arteries from his right lung to his heart.

Cropper was found by his wife Janice, 59 (pictured together) and son Matthew after Bear's cries for help led them to him

Cropper said Bear is now known as “Care Bear” or “Hero Puppy” for his life-saving efforts

Cropper is a retired weapons specialist in the Canadian military's special forces.

Looking back on this incredible near-miss, Cropper told the National Post, “If Bear hadn't jumped on my chest, I wouldn't be alive.”

“He basically performed puppy CPR and got my blood pumping again. Nobody taught him that, but his parents were both service dogs. I guess it's instinct.”

While recovering in the hospital, Cropper said he was unable to see his pet due to the Covid-19 pandemic and could only communicate via video call.

But he said his beloved dog recognized him despite the distance because “he saw me on the video and went completely crazy!”

Bear's life-saving efforts have now earned him a place in the Purina Hall of Fame, alongside other dogs who have saved their owners against all odds.

“My wife calls him our Care Bear. I call him my hero puppy,” Cropper concluded.