Chewie the rescue dog and his owner, Loretta. The Kennel Club Hero Dog Awards - Rescue dog hero

Rescue dog heroChewie the rescue dog and his owner, Loretta Chewie was found abandoned with his littermates at just 12 weeks old. They were heartbreakingly found half buried in a bag with their paws and mouths taped up. Loretta and Ray Whiteley, from Leyland, Lancashire, adopted Chewie and were determined to care for him after his sad start to life. And Chewie fast became a very important family member and helped Ray, who has Multiple Sclerosis, with his confidence. In 2018, Loretta was in the garden when she heard Chewie barking frantically. She went inside to find Ray slumped in his chair in respiratory arrest, and Chewie jumping on his chest with all his might. One of the tricks Loretta and Ray taught Chewie early on was to do ‘CPR’ on their other rescue dogs. By the time Loretta got Ray out of his chair, he was in cardiac arrest. Loretta carried out CPR until the paramedics arrived.Without Chewie, Ray would have died.   Since his life-saving act, Chewie, alongside Loretta, has helped to raise over £5000 for animal charities and other pets in need. Their fundraising supported a memorial in honour of a puppy buried alive – in a situation much similar to Chewie’s – in Leyland, and nine rescue charities, as well as paying vets bill for an owner whose cat had been attacked, and helping a family who lost everything in a house fire. “Chewie will always be my little hero,” says Loretta.