Choking dog saves own life by dialing police

He was so tangled in the phone cord that he started choking

After George, the two-year-old Basset Hound from West Yorkshire, England got so tangled in a phone cord that he began choking, the frantic pup somehow managed to alert authorities by dialing 999 -- the British equivalent to 911, the Sun reports.

Concerned by the heavy breathing on the other end, the emergency operator dispatched police to the home.

Since George's owners, Steve Brown and his daughter Lydia, weren't home, their neighbor let the police into the house, where George was choking on the living room floor.

"He was absolutely terrified and could not free himself," Walker told the Sun. "I knew I had to get him free quickly so I just ripped out the wire.

George's owner Lydia added that the dog's actions were not in keeping with his usual behavior, commenting: "He's not usually very smart. He's really dopey and just likes to chew socks."