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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Hannah Cooke, as told to Sinéad Campbell

The pet I’ll never forget: Polly, the golden retriever who saved my husband’s life

Hannah and Adam Cooke with their golden retriever Polly
Lifesaver … Hannah and Adam Cooke with Polly in 2025. Photograph: John McVitty/BHF

My husband, Adam, and I had always planned to have a big family and that journey began when we got our dog, Polly, five years ago. I’ve loved golden retrievers since I was a child because I grew up with one. We got Polly as a puppy and she was everything we’d hoped for: loving and smart.

She immediately connected with both of us, but became inseparable from Adam. They would go for morning runs together; Polly could always be found wagging her tail by his side. This bond proved to be lifesaving.

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