A police officer in Connecticut might have a new best friend after saving a choking dog by performing a modified version of the Heimlich maneuver on the pooch, Patch reported.

The frantic owners of a 10-year-old Shih Tzu named Harry called for help because their pet gagged on a piece of raw hide and stopped breathing, the Hartford Courant said.

West Hartford Officer Thomas Lazure, from the department's K-9 unit, used his training in doggie first aid to get Harry back on his paws. Lazure pressed on Harry's rib cage to dislodge the treat and then pulled it from the dog's mouth, the Associated Press said.

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