Caleigh

NEW TECUMSETH, ONTARIO

Ever since she was a puppy, Max Lovett would take his energetic Irish Setter, Caleigh, for a long morning walk. But on the morning of February 2, 2000, he was not feeling well. Knowing that Caleigh still needed her exercise, Max decided to drive Caleigh to a local farm to let her run off the leash.

While Caleigh was frolicking in the snow, Max began to feel worse and became short of breath. As he began to return to the car, he collapsed and was unable to move. Seeing Max fall, Caleigh stopped playing and returned to her master. Sensing something was wrong, she ran across the field toward Mike Raworth, who was out shoveling snow. By repeatedly barking, jumping and running back and forth toward the fallen Max, Caleigh urged Mike to follow her.

Realizing that Caleigh was trying to tell him something, Mike followed her across the field where he found a dangerously cold Max facedown in the foot-deep snow. Getting no response from Max, except for a small leg movement, Mike ran home to call an ambulance. He returned with a blanket to keep Max warm and sat with Caleigh waiting for the ambulance.

When the paramedics arrived, Max was barely conscious. He had suffered a heart attack and his body temperature had plummeted from a normal 37 degrees Celsius, below the hypothermia mark of 34 degrees, to 32. He was rushed to the local hospital and then transferred to a coronary care unit at a hospital in Toronto.

The New Tecumseth OPP believes that Max’s survival was a direct result of Caleigh’s persistence, determination and love.