MENASHA, Wis. — Would you know what to do if your pet went into cardiac arrest? The Winnegamie Dog Club is teaching skills that could save your pet's life.

Saving lives is important to Len Hoehne. The retired police officer and firefighter now spends his Saturday’s teaching others CPR to save their pet's lives.

Hoehne now works as the safety coordinator at the Winnegamie Dog Club.

What You Need To Know

  • The Winnegamie Dog Club, located in Menasha, Wis. It's an all-breed dog club affiliated with the American Kennel Club

  • Len Hoehne, the club's safety coordinator, teaches dog and cat CPR and first aid for pets

  • Hoehne said the latest dog, cat CPR standard is 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths

  • Less than 6% of dogs and less than 20% of cats that experience cardiac arrest survive but Hoehne said performing life-saving CPR allows owners to feel like they've done something to help save their pets

“Dogs and cats need CPR frequently, from choking. That’s the most frequent problem that they have, as far as having to do CPR. Also, it would be maybe for a fire situation where they have smoke inhalation or car accident, maybe hypothermia being too cold, or hyperthermia, being too hot, or during a seizure,” Hoehne said.  

Hoehne owns two golden retrievers—Vivian and Charlie. He said he’s never had to use CPR on them but tried to save a squirrel using CPR.  

“It was breathing real shallow, and then it stopped breathing. So, I did the chest compressions on the thing, and it came back. It eventually did pass on, but it was kind of fun to see it be revived by using the CPR,” Hoehne said.  

Hoehne said dogs and cats are laid on their left side for CPR because their hearts are closer to the left side. 

“The hand position is with the elbow of the dog, one hand on top of the other, which is just like the human being. Then you press down about halfway through their chest. Do 30 compressions and then you do two breaths. You move the dog’s tongue out of the way, clap, hold the jaw shut, and you actually breathe through the dog’s nostrils,” Hoehne said.  

Amy Braun has a three-year-old chihuahua beagle mix named Kenzie.

Braun said she’s taking this class after Kenzie experienced cardiac issues after getting into a bee’s nest.

“She swelled up all over and was breathing really fast, and she didn’t even look like the same dog. It just I felt powerless. I didn’t know what to do. So, I don’t want to feel powerless to be able to help her any way I can,” Braun said.  

The survival rate for dogs or cats needing CPR is low.

Less than 6% of dogs and less than 20% of cats that experience cardiac arrest survive, according to the American Veterinarian Medical Association.

Hoehne said it’s still worth learning to save your pet.  

“If you consider the dog’s not breathing and has no pulse, it’s kind of already dead. So, anything you do can hopefully stop that progress. And the other thing about it is it helps you feel like you’ve done something,” Hoehne said.  

Len Hoehne may be retired from a life of public service, but he’s never retired from helping to save the lives of our four-legged friends.