Dog Saves Owner’s Life – Wouldn’t Stop Barking At Her Pregnant Belly

By: Lauren Wurth | Last updated: Sep 19, 2023

Dogs are man’s best friend. They love you unconditionally and support you in ways no one else can! Any dog owner knows that a dog’s love is unmatched! This British woman discovered the true lengths that a dog’s love will go.

This woman’s dog wouldn’t stop barking at her throughout her pregnancy. When she went to the doctor, they discovered something very troubling. The discovery saved this woman’s life and the dog knew all along!

Alhanna Butler and Ricky Burdis Adopt a Puppy

Alhanna Butler and her fiancé adopted a 3-month-old puppy in 2014. The young Akita puppy was named Keola. The couple was excited to grow their little family and bring Keola home to Doncaster.

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This little ball of energy would bring them love, laughter, and a whole lot more. They had no idea that this little puppy would play a life changing role in both of their lives. 

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Alhanna Announces She Has a Baby On the Way

A year after they adopted the pup, Keola was no longer little. The full grown dog was huge and Alhanna had a special announcement to make to her friends and family. Keola would be getting a brother or sister because Alhanna was pregnant!

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Alhanna knew that Keola would make an excellent big sister because she had always been good with children. But, Alhanna’s pregnancy didn’t exactly go as planned.

 Mom-to-be Experiences Strange Pains

A few months into her pregnancy, she started experiencing intense back pains in her lower back. When she asked the doctor what might be causing the pains, they informed her it was likely a regular symptom of pregnancy. 

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She was given the “okay” to go home and was told to rest throughout her pregnancy to avoid any further pains. Unfortunately, the pains persisted and only grew worse.

Keola Starts Acting Weird

Around this time, Keola started to act very out of character. The dog was usually well behaved but she started to not seem like herself. After she returned from her doctor’s appointment, Keola started staring at her intently.

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Alhanna mentioned that she was staring so intently that it actually scared her at times. This wasn’t the behavior she was used to from her pup.

 Keola’s Behaviors Start Escalating

Keola’s behaviors only grew more strange, as did Alhanna’s concern. The dog was becoming very pushy and misbehaved. She would constantly bark at Alhanna and she couldn’t understand why.

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Ricky noticed Keola would get very upset when Alhanna left for work. It seemed like the dog was incredibly stressed that something bad would happen to the her mama!

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Ricky and Alhanna Worry That They Won’t be Able to Keep Keola

The couple grew increasingly worried about Keola’s behaviors and didn’t know what to do! If she continued to bark and act out, they surely couldn’t have the erratic behavior around a newborn baby.

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But, they couldn’t bear the thought of giving Keola away. She was a huge part of their family, after all. They began to suspect her behavior was linked to the pregnancy. Was she jealous of the baby?

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They Decided to Take it Seriously

The couple had brushed off Keola’s behaviors for far too long. This was not the loving pup they had adopted and raised! Alhanna realized that these behaviors had only begun as recently as her pregnancy.

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She felt there must be a connection to her pregnancy and Keola’s weird behaviors. After jokingly making a reference to the movie Hachi where the dog does something similar, her friends urged her to go to the doctor to make sure everything was alright with the baby.

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Alhanna Goes to the Hospital for a Checkup

Alhanna finally went to the doctor for a checkup to make sure there weren’t any problems. The doctors examined her and almost immediately rushed her to intensive care.

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The couple was completely shocked to hear that Alhanna was actually in a very poor condition. And, to their surprise, it was all connected to the back aches that she had been experiencing throughout the pregnancy. What the doctors told them was completely shocking!

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The Doctors Find Something Very Troubling

As it turned out, Alhanna was suffering from a double kidney infection which had caused the pains in her lower back! The infection was an incredibly rare one that was completely antibiotic-resistant.

The doctors had only known of one other case in the entire U.K. Due to the rarity of the disease and the fact that back pain is also a typical symptom of pregnancy, Alhanna likely wouldn’t have known about the infection without Keola’s indications!

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 Keola Saved Her From Dire Consequences

A double kidney infection is no small health concern. This rare version of infection that Alhanna had was life threatening. The doctors informed Alhanna of a terrifying truth.

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Had she not come to the hospital when she had, she and the baby would have likely not made it through the pregnancy. Her dog had saved her life as well as the life of her baby!

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The Canine Hero

Keola was the only one who knew the severity of the infection and she told Alhanna in the only ways she could. The couple couldn’t believe that this was all happening! It seems like something from a movie.

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It turned out Keola knew Alhanna better than anyone else and even better than she knew herself. Thanks to her, Alhanna was given proper treatment and the rest of her pregnancy was perfectly normal.

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Baby Lincoln is Born In Good Health

The rest of Alhanna’s pregnancy was healthy after she was treated for the infection. Her lower back pains  dissipated and she gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy named Lincoln!

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Lincoln and Keola were fast friends. Keola is just as protective of her little brother as she was of Alhanna during the pregnancy. They nap and laugh together. Keola’s loyalty to the new member of the family is truly beautiful.

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Keola Gets Rewarded for Her Heroic Act

Alhanna shared the story about her heroic pup with the Daily Mirror and Keola was soon nominated to receive the RSPCA’s “Animal Hero Award”. 

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She was a finalist in the awards and they all were incited to walk the red carpet to celebrate her. The family is forever grateful to their furry guardian angel.

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Keola Continues to Take Care of the Family

Keola’s job didn’t stop there. She continues to look over the family and their health. Alhanna has shared more stories about Keola and her relationship with her son. One morning, Keola woke Alhanna up by running into her room.

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She noticed her behavior was out of the ordinary and also heard some strange noises on the baby monitor. It turns out baby Lincoln was sick and Keola had run in to notify Alhannah. Keola remained by Lincoln’s side until he felt better.

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Keola’s Keen Sniffer Saved Lives

The family discovered that Keola’s keen sense of smell was how she was able to notice her family was sick and notify them. All dogs have a great sense of smell but certain breeds are particularly skilled at picking up illnesses.

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Shifts in hormones can let them know that something is wrong or dangerous. Hence, how Keola knew something was wrong with Alhanna. Dogs really are humans’ best friends, and even their caretakers from time to time!

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