A dog has been hailed as a hero in Japan after she saved the life of a man who was having a heart attack by sounding the alarm with her incessant barking. 5-year-old Koume was handed an official letter of appreciation by local fire officials at a special ceremony last month for her valiant work at a horse riding club in Wakaba-ku, Chiba City. “Koume is usually quiet and barks only under rare circumstances,” Yuna Maruo, a 23-year-old riding instructor who took part in saving a man that day, said. “But when an emergency arises, Koume does bark.” According to the club, Koume’s barks enabled staff to quickly call an ambulance and paramedics used an automated external defibrillator on the rider just in time. The man has since returned to riding at the club. 📸: Chiba Riding Park