Rescue Dog Saves the Day by Alerting Family to Medical Emergency
A small rescue dog has proven to be quite the heroine after alerting her human family member to a serious medical issue.
When the National Mill Dog Rescue team in Colorado rescued Lola from a commercial breeding facility back in 2025, they couldn’t have anticipated the significant impact she would have on her new family’s life, as reported by the Dodo on October 1.
This little dog, confined to a cramped space for the first eight years of her life, adjusted to her newfound freedom remarkably well. Just a few months later, she was welcomed into the Mullane family, who quickly found numerous reasons to cherish her.
The rescue organization shared a heartwarming update on September 19, explaining that the family had reached out to them, saying, “You don’t know what a special dog Lola has been to our family. A couple of weeks ago, she was acting a little strange. She kept nudging at my husband, who wasn’t feeling his best.”
They continued:
“She wasn’t just laying next to him; she was right on top of him and kept nudging until he finally said, ‘I need to go to the emergency room.’ A few hours later, we found out my husband (Lola’s gampa) was in kidney failure. We were told that if he had waited just one more day to go in, he likely would have needed dialysis. He is also battling stage 4 inoperable colon cancer. It’s pretty serious. Lola might have saved his life that day. We are so thankful for all the special fur babies.”
This situation was indeed serious for the man, as kidney failure occurs when the organs stop functioning properly, and treatment options can include dialysis or a transplant, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“These dogs truly are special and touch lives every day. We are incredibly proud of them,” the rescue group shared.
Interestingly, dogs have around 220 million scent receptors in their noses, while humans have a mere five million, based on information from Understanding Animal Research.
According to the same source, “Dogs are most famously known for detecting cancer. They can be trained to identify several types of cancer, including skin, breast, and bladder cancer, by using samples from those diagnosed and those without cancer.”
A representative from the rescue remarked, “We’re very grateful for the role she has played – and continues to play – in the Mullane family’s life. They gave Lola a second chance, and she was there for them in their moment of need.”
Social media users also reacted enthusiastically to this remarkable story, with one person commenting, “Dogs are incredibly sensitive; they often know things before we do. It was no coincidence that Lola came into your lives.”
