Man saves dog's life with CPR after she collapsed on beach walk

21/1/21- Gwyn with his dog Winnie-Devon Live
Gwyn with his dog Winnie Credit: Devon Live

A man from Devon saved his dog's life after she collapsed on Exmouth beach during a walk.

Gwyn Parks, 22, was out walking his springer spaniel Winnie on January 18 when the incident happened.

The ordeal saw the five-year-old springer - typically full of energy - collapse on Exmouth beach evolving into a seizure, eventually stopping her from breathing.

Gwyn, who lives at the seaside town, said: ''I put her onto the ground and she began to have some sort of fit.

Gwyn had to conduct CPR on Winnie to resuscitate her. Credit: Devon Live

''She went really tense for around 20 seconds and then just stopped breathing, turning all floppy.''

After spotting the commotion, Neil - a fellow pedestrian - called out to Gwyn to see if he needed help.

Gwyn said: ''Neil starting instructing me how to perform CPR on the dog.''

In a state of panic, a friend of Gwyn's made the decision to drive his car onto the beach in order to get closer to the dog and make a dash to the vets - however, unsurprisingly the car got stuck in the sand.

Lightheartedly, Gwyn said: ''All logic just goes out of the window in a moment like this.''

Winnie is fine now but doesn't want to let Gwyn out of her sight. Credit: Devon Live

Unable to drive to the vets due to the car being stuck in the sand, Gwyn rushed Winnie up onto the concrete where he continued to perform CPR.

He said: ''Coincidentally, a police car drove passed and spotted us.

''We jumped into the police car and they took us straight to the vets.''

The vets then gave her oxygen and insulin and kept her in for an overnight stay.

Gwyn said: ''She is back home now. The vets are still running blood tests, but they think that she may have just overdone it on the walk.

''Thankfully, she is okay now although she wants to be near me all the time.


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