An elderly man is alive thanks to his loyal dog, who ran to get help and flagged down a Sheriff’s Deputy in a stroke of luck and bravery that saved him.
Eighty-four-year-old Keith Johnson had let his 13-year-old dog, Gita, outside in the morning when she wanted to venture deeper into the woods near his remote cabin in Washington state. Not wanting to follow her, he turned to head back to the house but suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground, breaking his hip.
Immobile and in pain, Keith began calling for help. Gita would come over to him, but realizing he was in serious danger, Keith asked his longtime companion to go find help—and that’s exactly what she did.
That’s when Stevens County Patrol Deputy Colton Wright spotted Gita on the road.
The Stevens County Sheriff’s Department wrote, “On 09/25/24, Deputy Wright was patrolling a rural, wooded area of Stevens County when he came upon a dog sitting in the roadway. No residences were visible nearby. Wright tried to get the dog into his vehicle so he could attempt to find the owner, but the dog would not get in. Wright proceeded to check the surrounding area residences within a mile and could not find the owner.”
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The Sheriff’s department continued, “Sensing something amiss, Wright went back to the dog which was now laying on the centerline. He tried to get the dog off the roadway, and it took off up a slightly travelled, unmarked roadway. Wright followed the dog, and it led him to a small summer cabin. He began checking around the area and observed an elderly male laying on the ground calling for help a short distance from the cabin….He had laid there for hours and may have had serious consequences if he had not been found.” By the time Deputy Wright found him, Keith had been laying outside for close to six hours.
When Deputy Wright approached Keith he told him, “That’s a good dog, man.” Keith agreed telling the officer that Gita is his best friend.
Gita, a rescue dog, most certainly repaid her dad’s love with her own. The Sheriff’s Department also credited her, writing, “We believe Gita saved his life that day. The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us.”
Keith is currently recovering in the hospital and receiving regular visits from Gita.
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