An ambulance attendant checks on a man under the Red Bridge in Kamloops, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Dean Gladue
February 25, 2022 - 6:00 PM
A retired cop and his four-legged assistant likely saved a life during one of their regular walks yesterday in Kamloops.
Dean Gladue and his Labradoodle Kaluha were playing fetch with a stick at Pioneer Park yesterday, Feb. 24, when the dog alerted her owner there was something wrong.
“Kaluha has always been calm and intuitive,” Gladue said. "I've learned to trust her instincts."
Gladue is sharing the story of the pair’s experience to encourage others to be aware and lookout for each other, and also to give Kaluha credit for being such a good girl.
“She kept disappearing on me, going deeper into the bush,” he said. “I was yelling for her and then I couldn’t find her. I walked closer to the Red Bridge and found her sniffing a guy who was lying on the ground. The individual was not moving and did not react.”
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Gladue thought it was strange for the guy not to react to the dog so he walked up to him and shook him a few times.
“He wasn’t responding so I shook him harder,” he said. “He moaned a little. His pulse was weak, his breathing was shallow, and I could tell by the snow on the bag beside him that he had been there for a while.”
Dean Gladue's Labradoodle Kaluha is seen in this undated photo.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Dean Gladue
Gladue called 911 and stayed with the man until the ambulance took him away.
“The guy was overdosing and I think suffering from hypothermia as well,” he said. “I believe he was close to dying and if Kaluha didn’t go and sniff him he would have gone unnoticed. He was saved by the grace of God and the curiosity of a Labradoodle.”
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The retired cop said he did not touch the scene and kept photographs at a distance to ensure anonymity of those involved. He hopes his story will inspire others to keep vigilant for those in need of help when out enjoying the outdoors.
As for Kaluha, he says she is having “a week-long celebration filled with treats."
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