Megan Vitale was almost inconsolable when she ran into the North Reading Police Department at noon on a Sunday in March of 2018. She was in tears and begging for help.
Her 9-week-old Saint Bernard puppy, Bodhi, was choking on a piece of food from his lunch and she was unable to dislodge it.
She had just gotten the puppy the day before.
Moments later a friend came in carrying a limp Bodhi.
First attempts
As an officer ran out from behind the glass, he saw the puppy laying on the floor, unresponsive. He immediately began to assess the situation before starting chest compressions.
“She was screaming, ‘Help me, help me!’?” said officer Jorge Hernandez. “The puppy had choked on some food, and he was limp, his eyes were closed and there was foam around his mouth and nose. His owner had gotten him only the day before and kept saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry!’ She thought the dog had passed.”
When it was clear there was an emergency, a second officer rushed out to see if he could help.
Teamwork
Three officers in total came out to save Bodhi.
Jorge Hernandez, Peter DiPietro, and Joseph Aleo were the men on duty that day who came to the rescue.
“When officers came around the corner, they found Bodhi the puppy was not breathing, limp, and unresponsive,” department officials told WCVB.
Unfortunately, the chest compressions still left the dog gasping for air, so they tried patting the dog on the back to dislodge the food. Minutes later, the fire department showed up to help with special equipment.
“Many of our firefighters have pets at home in their own families,” fire Chief Don Stats said. “We don’t get to choose the emergency situation that comes our way, so it’s important that first responders be prepared for anything.”
The video tells the story
Surveillance video from the North Reading Police Department captured the dramatic moments while officers and the firefighters that arrived afterward did everything they could to keep the puppy alive.
Like any scared pet owner, Vitale paced around the scene in tears – and her fear is heartbreaking to watch.
Luckily, the firefighters had an animal oxygen mask that fit over Bodhi’s face and were skilled in using it.
It was after they employed that equipment that the puppy started to breathe normally again.
“Ultimately, a life was saved thanks to rescuers falling back on their training and remaining calm. Even though we are not faced with this kind of incident every day, the officers reacted just as they would in any emergency situation,” the police chief said.
Further surveillance video shows firefighters standing up with an alert Bodhi as Vitale thanks them through sobs.
The dog is looking around like nothing much happened as a rescuer wipes his mouth and gives him some well-deserved pets.
Bodhi was immediately taken to the vet following his rescue in order to assess his condition – and we’re happy to report that he made a full recovery and went home with his owner.
We just hope he learned to eat his lunch a little more slowly after all this drama and not literally inhale his food!
Be sure to scroll down below to see the dramatic life-saving footage.
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