A dog groomer’s call to the Nebraska Humane Society helped save pet owner’s life

After a pet owner in Omaha, Nebraska, failed to pick up his dog, a PetSmart groomer noticed something was amiss and sprang to action.

The owner was described as “a regular” at the pet supply store, and “his dog was well cared for,” Nebraska Humane Society (NHS) said on Twitter on Monday. The groomer “also noted that everything appeared normal when he had dropped the dog off.”

“They’d attempted to contact him but had no luck,” NHS said in its Twitter thread.

That’s when the PetSmart called Animal Control Officer Kisha Witherspoon, who NHS said became concerned about the owner and notified Investigator Misty Binau to see what was going on.

Binau went to the owner’s home and also did not receive a response, so she called the police.

When officials were finally able to enter the residence, “the pet owner was found lying in distress in his apartment after suffering a medical episode,” the NHS said.

“We are proud of Officer Witherspoon for her intuition, and to Officer Binau and Dispatcher Bieranowski for their swift follow-up,” NHS said in the thread. “Way to go the extra mile!”

NHS said Lola, the owner’s dog, is now “freshly groomed” and “back with family members as her owner gets the medical attention he needed.”