Golden Retriever panicked and barked non-stop looking at the window - her owner called 911 after seeing neighbor’s driveway
A Reddit post about a Golden Retriever has people calling her a hero. Shared seven months ago by u/tankman714, it shows how the normally calm dog suddenly panicked and barked nonstop while staring out the window. Along with the story, the owner posted a photo of his "amazing doggie." The post has more than 91,000 upvotes, and he explained why the barking sent him rushing to call 911 after seeing a neighbor’s driveway.
The owner explained in the post, "I was gaming on my PC yesterday afternoon when my Golden Retriever (who never barks) started losing her mind in a panic and barking like crazy while looking out the front window." When he looked out, he saw a very young boy, about three years old, walking up a neighbor’s driveway and into their backyard. "No one was home at that house, so I asked my other neighbor, who has young kids, if he knew the young boy, which he didn’t," he wrote.
After asking around and realizing no one recognized the child, the owner dialed 911. "When I called after saying my location and that I found a kid, the operator quickly asked what clothing he was wearing, and after I confirmed, she yelled to someone, 'They found him!'" he wrote. Soon, two police officers arrived at the location and revealed that the boy had gone missing about half an hour earlier from a busy road half a mile away. "From what the officers said, the family was extremely relieved," the poster added.
The post ended with the officers coming back to the house to take a report. "I informed them of my amazing doggie’s actions, to which they had my dog come out on the porch with them and gave her all the pets and scratches and told her how amazing she is." Studies show dogs really can detect human changes most of us miss. A 2022 experiment found that trained dogs were able to distinguish between a person’s normal scent and their scent after acute stress with more than 90% accuracy, proof of how sharp their instincts can be. Reflecting on the moment, the owner wrote, "If it weren’t for my dog barking like hell just opened up, who knows if that young boy would have ever been found. So thankful for my amazing doggie, she is absolutely amazing, and I love her so much."
The comments were full of praise for the four-legged rescuer, named Zoie, as revealed by the owner in the comments. u/Berry-Holiday wrote, "Zoie is now the most popular girl in the neighborhood, you must be beaming with pride. We're all beaming with you!" u/Lady0905 said, That’s a good girl! You’re such a good girl! She deserves all the doggie treats and cuddles she can get!" u/Lilsammywinchester13 shared, "As someone with a 3-year-old with limited speech, thank you! I can’t imagine the relief they felt! What a savior." u/Impossible-Energy-76 added, "She needs her nails done, a massage, hair, lashes, then she needs to go to lunch, then to the doggie park, then pup cup, then out for dinner, and a nightcap. Perfect hero day."