Pinellas County man says his dog saved his life

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CLEARWATER, FL - Thursday was a special day for an American bulldog named Zane. He had not seen his owner, Doug Smith since November.

"Hey buddy, hey buddy. I missed you too. I missed you too," Smith said as he hugged his dog.

On November 7th, after running errands, Smith says he went home and he wasn't feeling well.

"I was feeling pretty down what I can remember of it. But I had like respiratory failure and a heart attack and passed out on the couch," Smith said.

Zane was by his side, and starting barking loudly to alert the lawn crew that was working outside.

"The ground crew called my brother. My brother came over and called 911. And I was out for about 15 minutes," Smith said.

Once he was stabilized, Smith's doctor told him it could have been worse if Zane did not react to his medical emergency.

"He was a rescue dog for sure. All because of him that they come got me the way they did," Smith said.

Doug Smith is at the Highland Pines Rehabilitation Center in Clearwater for a couple of more weeks. Zane can't stay with Smith, but he is allowed to visit.

Smith said he knew from the beginning this was a special dog when he noticed what he calls an "angel paw pattern" in his fur.