Pacemakers for dogs!

The New York Post reports that a beloved 4-year-old German shepherd police dog who collapsed on the job at Rikers Island after his heart suddenly stopped is miraculously back on the beat recently after doctors implanted a lifesaving pacemaker made for humans.

I thought this was very interesting. So I did some more of my research and Googled - dog pacemaker. Here is what I found:

Sunshine, The Pacemaker Dog - A great story about a rescued dog and their family's journey through getting Sunshine a pacemaker.
Pacemakers for Pooches: A Surprisingly Feasible Option for Older Dogs - A 1997 article from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine that states over 200 dogs a year receive pacemakers. I bet it's well over 400 by now.
Pacemaker Humor Dog T-Shirt - They say "celebrate the joy of going bionic with this funny take on getting a pacemaker. Give some heartfelt thanks to those who made it all possible."
Dog Parks USA - A great article on the history of pacemakers in dogs, includes an interesting x-ray of one of the implants.
PetCare Pet Insurance pays for pacemaker - An article in Animal Wellness Magazine that quotes Mark Warren, President of PetCare Pet Insurance, saying they paid out for a pacemaker for a dog.
Woman's Unusual Last Wish Saves Dog's Life -The story of Dorothea Edwards who left instructions with her family that her pacemaker be donated to an animal, when she died. The pacemaker was donated and implanted in Sunshine.

Wow! Now that's something to bark about!

Personally I am very thankful and grateful that there are such great advances in medicine for us pups. Keep it up!