PETA has chosen West Hartford K9 Officer Tom Lazure to received its Compassionate Action Award for saving a local family’s 10-year-old Shih Tzu.
Lazure responded to 99 Norwood Road in West Hartford just after 4:30 p.m. on April 23 when Harry was choking on a raw hide lodged in his mouth and could not breathe.
Lazure is trained in first aid for dogs and performed a modified version of the Heimlich maneuver to remove the bone, so the dog could breathe again.
Harry was brought to a veterinarian, who delivered the happy news that Harry is in good health and is expected to make a full recovery.
PETA will give Lazure a plaque and a box of vegan chocolates.
"Thanks to Officer Lazure's know-how and compassion, Harry survived his frightening experience, and his family did not prematurely lose their furry friend," PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement. "West Hartford is very fortunate to have police officers like Thomas Lazure who stand ready to aid both the city's human and nonhuman residents."
