BETTENDORF — Mac, the black lab who helped save his neighbor by alerting his owners to her medical emergency, is set to receive a care package full of toys and treats from PETA as thanks for his heroic actions.
Mac was in his Bettendorf backyard on January 17, doing what dogs do, when he noticed Marcia Allen, the lady next door, collapsed in her yard. The normally quiet and mild-mannered Mac began barking frantically, alerting his owners, the Scott family, to the problem, which turned out to be a stroke.
“Mack the hero, he’s a wonderful dog,” said Allen, who is on the mend now after being treated at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. “It was just amazing what he did, because I could have been laying out there for a long time.”
On Thursday, Feb. 9, PETA announced it was honoring Mac with a Heroic Dog Award. According to PETA:
Any brave dog is eligible for one of PETA’s Heroic Dog Awards, which honor dogs for their heroic actions. These awards also create a wonderful opportunity to remind people how intelligent and sensitive animals are, as well as the many benefits of treating their companion animals like family—and to encourage everyone who has the time and resources to care for a companion animal properly to adopt one from a shelter.
“This dog sensed that something was wrong and he didn’t rest until his neighbor got the life-saving help that she needed,” said PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “His story is an inspiration, and PETA encourages anyone with the ability and resources to care for an animal to save a life by adopting from a local shelter.”
Mac and the Scott family will be receiving a framed certificate and letter of congratulations, as well as a doggie bag of toys and vegan treats.
