Police in Britain responding to a 999 emergency call with the sound of heavy breathing said they found a basset hound strangling on the phone wire.

Police in South Hiendley, England, said they responded to the emergency call Saturday night and found no one was home, but neighbor Paul Walker, 41, had a key and let them inside, The Sun reported Tuesday.

Walker, who said Steve Brown and his college student daughter, Lydia, 18, left him a key to take care of their basset hound later in the evening, said he found 2-year-old George on the floor of the living room with his neck tangled in the phone cord.

"He was absolutely terrified and could not free himself," Walker said. "I knew I had to get him free quickly so I just ripped the wire out. Incredibly you could see where his paw print was on the phone to ring 999 -- he literally saved his own life."

"When the police came into the room and realized what had happened they burst out laughing," he said. "They told me they had been sent out because of a 999 call in which the operator could only hear heavy breathing and gasping.

Lydia Brown said George most likely called the emergency number accidentally.

"He's not usually very smart," she said. "He's really dopey and just likes to chew socks." (c) UPI