A French woman may be alive today because her German shepherd interrupted her reported suicide attempt by jumping up on her.
The incident occurred earlier this week in a small French town when a 64-year-old woman said she put a rifle up to her chest in an attempt to shoot herself in the heart, but her dog jumped up and diverted the bullet's direction,
AFP reported.
"At the moment she pulled the trigger, her dog jumped on her and diverted the shot," a local police officer told AFP, adding that the dog "probably sensed things and knocked into her to save her."
The woman was later found by her husband with a wound to her chest that, according to authorities, is not considered to be life-threatening.
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The woman had reportedly tested the rifle .22-caliber rifle prior to the suicide attempt, firing several shots in her garden.
German shepherds are protective of their owners and territory and considered to be the third most intelligent breed, behind border collies and poodles according to the American Kennel Club. In addition to their physical bearing, German shepherds are known for their ability to interpret instructions and situations faster than most other breeds, which is why they are the most popular breed of dog for law enforcement.
News of the life-saving German shepherd comes only days after
a small mixed-breed dog in Poland is credited with saving its owner, a 3-year-old girl who went missing and would have likely froze to death overnight.
Firefighters were made aware of the child's location by the dog's barking.
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As local firefighter Grzegorz Szymanski told Reuters, "For the whole night the animal was with the girl, it never left her . . . This dog is the most important part of the story. He is a hero . . . It is thanks to this dog that the girl survived the night."
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