Woman Saved By Neighbor's Barking Dog

When an Iowa woman collapsed in her backyard, it could have easily spelled disaster. But God had a special furry angel keeping watch that day. And the neighbor's barking dog is the reason Marcia Allen got the help before it was too late! Credit: WQAD Channel 8 News Marcia was alone in her backyard when she suddenly collapsed. She lay on the hard ground, unable to move or call for help.

"I couldn't speak, my face was drooping, I had no feeling on my left side," she recalled.

Marcia suffers from atrial fibrillation -- a condition which makes people prone to strokes. And a stroke is exactly what caused Marcia to collapse that day. A clot came off of her heart and went to her brain. [rsnippet id="3" name="Article-Ad"]

The Neighbor's Barking Dog

Who knows how long it would have been before anyone discovered Marcia or what kind of state she'd have been in when they did. Thanks to Mack, the 7-year-old black lab who lives next door, we won't ever have to know. Mack's human, Dave Scott, let the pup out for a potty break. But when Mack saw Marcia on the ground, he started barking furiously. And he refused to stop until she got help!

"It was crazy. He barked so long and so loud. It was kind of a frantic bark, he knew something was wrong. He had that sixth sense that something wasn't right," Marcia said.

RELATED: Family dog's non-stop barking leads to a scary discovery at the water's edge Dave couldn't understand what had gotten into his normally laid back dog. Mack ordinarily did his business, and then tapped the door when he was ready to come back in. So, when he continued barking up a storm, Dave went to investigate.

"I was like what's with the barking? It's not normal, cause he's never done that before. If he would not have done that, there's no way I would have gone outside," Scott said. "It's doggie divine intervention!"

When Dave saw Marcia, he immediately called for help. She spent two days in the hospital, but is back home and doing remarkably well. And she's incredibly grateful to her furry guardian angel.

"Mack the hero, he's a wonderful dog. It was just amazing what he did, because I could have been laying out there for a long time," she said.

Needless to say, Mack earned himself loads of snuggles and treats! [rsnippet id="2" name="ArticleAd-300x250-3"]

This girl's furry hero sensed something was wrong more than 5 miles away!

  h/t: WQAD Channel 8 News