She was alone, on the floor, and the phone was out of reach. The only other soul in the house was a 150-pound pot-bellied pig.
In August 1998, Jo Ann Altsman was alone at her family’s vacation home in Presque Isle, Pennsylvania, when she suffered a heart attack. She collapsed, in severe pain, unable to reach help.
Her pet pig, LuLu, understood something was badly wrong.
A Pig in the Middle of the Road
LuLu forced her way out through the dog door — scraping herself in the process — ran to the road, and waited. Each time a car approached, the pig walked out and lay down in the middle of the street, playing dead in front of traffic.
Car after car passed her by. LuLu kept going back inside to check on Jo Ann — reportedly crying — then returned to the road to try again. The routine went on for some 45 minutes.
Finally, a young motorcyclist stopped. LuLu led him to the house, and he called 911.
Doctors later told Jo Ann that if another 15 minutes had passed, she would have died.
A National Hero
LuLu’s story made national news, earned her appearances on television talk shows, and made her one of the most famous pet pigs in America. She lived with the Altsman family until her death in 2008.
Jo Ann never forgot who saved her. As she put it in interviews afterward, LuLu was family — and that day, family showed up.
❓ Q&A
Q: How did LuLu get outside? A: She squeezed through the dog door, injuring herself on the way, and ran to the road in front of the house.
Q: How long did it take? A: Around 45 minutes of LuLu repeatedly lying in the road before a passing motorcyclist finally stopped and followed her in.
Story compiled from widely reported accounts of LuLu and Jo Ann Altsman.
Tell us in the comments below - we read every single one, and the best takes get featured.
