Man adopts Great Dane from shelter, day later the dog saves his life

Man adopts Great Dane from shelter, day later the dog saves his life


A day after a dog was adopted from a New Mexico animal shelter, the employees received an unexpected call from the person who adopted the canine. Instead of potentially bad news shelters often get about adopters changing their minds about the pet they brought home, Andrew Budek-Schmeisser wanted to share nothing but praise for the dog who saved his life.

Budek-Schmeisser adopted Peanut on March 9 from the Animal Welfare Department after a friend suggested getting a dog tall enough for him to lean on. He has a service dog, but a larger, more sturdy dog would help him as he has difficulty walking.

He told Newsweek that he has a number of illnesses, including cancer and heart problems, and his walking is shaky.

The next day after bringing Peanut home, Budek-Schmeisser was outside getting to know the Great Dane and pit mix when he fell and hit his head, obstructing his airway. Peanut immediately stepped in to help.

“I couldn’t do anything about it, but Peanut could,” he said. “Peanut cleared my airway, and when I was breathing well enough again, he sat me up. He and another dog helped move me to a chair where I could recover.”

Photo of Peanut, who was adopted from a New Mexico animal shelter. The day after being adopted, Peanut saved his owner’s life.

Animal Welfare Department Albuquerque

Budek-Schmeisser assumes that Peanut and his service dog, Belle, communicated with each other during the incident. Belle is a wolf hybrid, so she doesn’t have the strength and height Peanut possesses, he explained.

Peanut cleared his airway and got him into a position to breathe again. Then, the two dogs helped move him to a chair. Peanut sat with him, his head against Budek-Schmeisser’s chest, making sure he was still breathing and not going to fall again.

“I would not have expected a dog to understand within 24 hours what to do or to have the initiative to do what was necessary,” he said. “When I realized what he was doing, I had to put my life and future into his hands, I had to trust him.”

Between that incident and learning the ropes from Belle, Peanut stays by his side constantly. Peanut forgoes what he wants to do, which is chasing lizards, and instead always focuses on keeping Budek-Schmeisser safe.

Budek-Schmeisser’s biggest takeaway from this incredible moment was not that his life was saved. Instead, Budek-Schmeisser reflected on the fact Peanut waited in a crowded animal shelter for five months, and instead of giving up, the shelter kept him and saw he could make a difference in someone’s life.

“Many dogs and cats waiting out there in shelters that can make a difference in people’s lives. All they need is an opportunity,” he said. “Healing may come on four paws.”

The shelter was touched to hear about the incredible rescue, which further proves that adopting animals is a win-win for everyone involved.

“A faithful companion is gained, a friendship is formed and a life is saved,” marketing manager Desiree Cawley told Newsweek. “In this circumstance, they both saved each other.”

The Animal Welfare Department currently houses over 700 pets patiently waiting for their forever homes. Cawley said the adoption fee is waived for all pets at the city shelters, including spay or neuter, microchip, I.D. tag, and vaccinations.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters each year, an average of 17,260 a day. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet Shelter Watch Report found.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

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