Ida Moose and her dog Trixie in the yard
Trixie the dog is in the running for "Dog of Valor"
LITTLE ROCK, Ark (KTHV) -- One Little Rock woman's life was saved by her dog; now the dog is up for a national award.
Pet owners often feel as if theirs is the best -- the best looking, most talented, the smartest... but this special terrier right here in Arkansas truly has something to brag about.
Ida Moose, 78, went to her back yard to fill the birdfeeder one evening last October. She doesn't remember what happened next, but she actually suffered a heart attack and a stroke.
She fell down and remembers waking up lying in the mud. Her dog, Trixie, had followed her out. She began barking but no one came. Trixie stayed by Ida for 20 hours through the night, in the rain.
Now, months later on a sunny March day, Ida is in her backyard again with her dog, but it's much more pleasant.
"This is where we have our coffee in the morning. When the weather's nice." says Ida, jokingly as she sits outside. She says they are best friends and her dog is magnificent.
After her stroke and heart attack, Ida spent the next six weeks recovering in the hospital. Now it's one day at a time, and she's appreciating her little doggy more than ever.
Doctors say it's likely she wouldn't have survived the night if Trixie (photo gallery) hadn't kept her warm.
Ida says, "I feel blessed to be able to maintain my home and Trixie and we just have a good ole time! She saved my life. I really do believe that."
When asked about what she was thinking about while lying outside all night, Ida says she was praying. She was also thinking of "the homeless" because she says, they go through that every day.
Trixie's story has given her a chance to win national honors in the 5th Annual Dogs of Valor Awards through the Humane Society of the United States.
If you want to read more on all the dogs and vote for Trixie, click here. Voting ends Friday, March 9.