“I’m just really grateful.”
Published on Jan 24, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Jill Turner’s dog, Lola, has captivating eyes — one brown, the other blue. She’s tiny and shaky, weighing just 5 pounds.
But despite her unassuming appearance, the Maltipoo accomplished an enormous feat: saving Turner’s life.
In the summer of 2022, Lola and Turner were in the car one night on their way home from a family trip. The pair passed by the Uinta Mountains, a sprawling mountain range in Utah that Turner has been fond of since she was a child. It has always brought her peace. She pulled over.
At the time, Turner was battling an addiction to medications that had been prescribed to her after a surgery. She was flooded with depressive thoughts and felt like a burden to her loved ones. “I was in extreme distress,” Turner told The Dodo. “My mind was broken.”
While in the mountains, she made a tragic attempt to take her life. After ingesting a combination of pills and liquor, Turner lay unconscious. That’s when Lola sprang into action.
The pint-sized pup made it her mission to find help. She caught the attention of some people camping nearby by tapping on their feet with her nose and spinning in circles. Then, she led them to Turner’s body. A woman performed CPR on Turner to buy time before emergency medical personnel were able to arrive on scene. During this process, Lola lay on Turner’s stomach the entire time. “She said that Lola was very persistent, looking into her eyes,” Turner said. “She didn’t stop. I feel like Lola sitting there gave her reason to keep pumping.”
Turner survived and continued to struggle with her mental health for nearly a year after the incident. However, she knew she wasn’t alone. Lola stayed by her side while she was healing, offering her quiet support. “There were times when I couldn’t get out of bed, and I didn’t want to,” Turner said. “Lola would lay with me because she somehow knew what I needed.”
Turner is doing much better today. The pup continues to provide her with hope. “She just reminds me that I’m a good person and that I have value,” she said. “I’m just really grateful.”
Now Turner is at peace with her past and working to help others who are struggling with depression and addiction. She works at a treatment center for women — where she sometimes brings Lola for visits — and she also volunteers as a sponsor for individuals recovering from addiction.
Lola and Turner remain inseparable. The pair enjoys watching sunsets together and going on bike rides.
For Turner, the magnitude of her tiny pup’s impact isn’t lost on her: “She did save my life that day,” she said. “And I swear to you, she continues to save my life every day since.”