Hero Dog Alert
Dog's Persistent Scratching Alerts Family, Saving Neighbor's Life After a Fall
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A rescue dog named Lillie Ann saved her 94-year-old neighbor's life on February 13, 2024, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, after the elderly woman fell and could not get up. Lillie Ann scratched at the back door with such urgency that her owner, Robert Fandre, knew something was seriously wrong — and followed her straight to the neighbor's side, according to WBAY-TV.
Fandre called 911. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, stabilized the woman, and rushed her to a local hospital. She is now recovering. Without Lillie Ann's alert, doctors and first responders said, the outcome could have been fatal, according to Fox 11 News.
A Rescue Dog's Insistent Scratch Changed Everything
Lillie Ann is not a trained service dog. She has no official certifications. But Fandre, her owner, has learned to trust her instincts. That morning, she began scratching the back door in a way he had never seen before. "It wasn't her 'I have to go out' scratch," Fandre told WBAY-TV. "It was a 'something is wrong' scratch." He let her out around 10:30 AM.
Instead of her usual routine, Lillie Ann sprinted directly to the property line next door. Fandre followed. He heard faint cries for help coming from a spot not visible from the street or windows. His 94-year-old neighbor had fallen and had been unable to move for an unknown period of time, according to People Magazine.
Lillie Ann's Hearing Detected What No Human Could
Dogs can hear sounds up to 45,000 Hz. Humans top out at around 20,000 Hz. Dogs can also hear sounds four times farther away than people can, according to PetHelpful. That biological edge is almost certainly why Lillie Ann picked up the neighbor's faint cries — before Fandre had any idea anything was wrong.
Veterinarians who reviewed the case said Lillie Ann was likely reacting to a high-pitched distress sound that Fandre's ears simply could not detect. A 2019 study published in the journal Learning & Behavior found that dogs will push through physical obstacles to reach a person they hear crying, according to ScienceDaily. Lillie Ann's behavior fits that pattern exactly.
For a 94-Year-Old in February, Every Minute Counted
In Green Bay in February 2024, temperatures were near freezing. For an elderly person lying still outdoors or in an unheated space, stage 1 hypothermia can set in within 45 minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. The CDC reports that 1 in 4 Americans aged 65 and older falls each year. For those over 80, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death.
The responding EMTs noted that without Lillie Ann's early alert, the outcome for a 94-year-old immobile in the cold could have been fatal, according to Fox 11 News. The neighbor's name was withheld for privacy, but local reports confirmed she is now in stable condition and recovering at a local hospital.
Lillie Ann's Story Sparks Wider Conversation About Rescue Dogs
Lillie Ann was adopted from a shelter. She is described by Fandre as "a mix of everything." Before this incident, she had already been alerting him to his own health issues — including changes in his heart and blood sugar levels — even before he noticed them himself, according to People Magazine. About 4.1 million dogs are adopted from U.S. shelters each year, per the ASPCA.
The story spread quickly online, boosting the "Adopt Don't Shop" movement. Local shelters in Wisconsin saw a rise in adoption inquiries following the news, according to tri-cityherald.com. The incident also sparked local conversations about "Neighbor-Check" programs in Green Bay — community systems designed to watch over elderly residents who live alone.
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