Scarlet the Rescue Dog Saves Her Owner on Father’s Day in Chelsea

A rescued dog named Scarlet saved her owner, Jim, on Father’s Day in Chelsea after he collapsed on his deck. The couple says their loyal companion returned the love they gave her.

Photo: Scarlet, the rescued dog, who in turn rescued her rescuer. Courtesy of Irene Durkee.

When Jim and Irene Durkee adopted Scarlet, a 10-year-old dog who was “very, very obese,” they thought they were saving her. What they didn’t know was that Scarlet would soon return the favor.

“I found her online, and she was so very obese that you couldn’t see her tail,” said Irene. “She’s lost over 22 pounds, and we are so happy that we got her, because I don’t know if anybody else would have she was so obese. We rescued a dog named Scarlet, and in return, she rescued my husband on the deck on Father’s Day.”

Father’s Day Scare

Irene was visiting family in Colorado Springs when she called Jim that morning. “I gave him a call and said, Jim, Happy Father’s Day. And don’t just sit in that chair all day long. Go outside and get some fresh air.”

Jim took Scarlet out on their back deck, but he suddenly became dizzy and fell. “He was probably there for three hours. And we, it’s very, very kind of isolated back here. We don’t have any close neighbors,” Irene said.

Scarlet stayed by his side, barking nonstop until someone noticed. Irene continues, “The dog was barking, constantly barking, but nobody heard until my neighbor, Jennifer Williams, heard a dog barking and barking and barking, and she thought, ‘Irene and Jim, they don’t let their dog bark that much. They take care of her.’ And so she came out and saw my husband on the deck floor, and she called 911.”

A Wake-Up Call

Jim had passed out from complications related to diabetes. “He did not take his medication for diabetes and because I was gone, he was not eating right,” Irene said.

She believes the outcome could have been far worse without Scarlet and their neighbor, Jennifer. “We’re Christians, and we believe that God just protected my husband and provided, you know, help for him,” said Irene.

“Scarlet and Jennifer are our heroes,” Irene added. “Since then, we’ve just had a better, you know, a better relationship.”

Healthier Together

Scarlet’s own health has improved dramatically over the past year thanks to the couple’s care. “We rescued an obese dog, and, you know, got her well by, you know, taking her for walks and giving her different meat, you know, put her on a special diet, which was, is pretty expensive, and we’re seniors, but we wanted to make sure that she’d be healthy,” Irene explains.

Scarlet is now 11, full of energy, and continues to keep Jim on his feet. “She wakes Jim up every morning around five o’clock in the morning,” Irene said with a laugh.

In saving Scarlet, Jim and Irene found a loyal friend, and on one quiet Father’s Day, Scarlet saved Jim right back.