A paws on the line

"I know it sounds kind of weird," Officer Patrick Daugherty said.

And you know that when a hardened police officer says something is weird, it probably is.

In Columbus, Ohio, Gary Rosheisen man fell out of his wheelchair.

He was unable to get up because of ministrokes that had disrupted his balance and pain from osteoporosis. His medical-alert necklace wasn't on and he couldn't reach a cord above his pillow that alerts paramedics.

Rosheisen was screwed.

But it seems a months long training program that he'd instituted with his cat, Tommy, paid off. Rosheisen had trained his feline friend to call 911. He'd been unsure whether the training stuck.

Police received a 911 call from Rosheisen's apartment Thursday.

There was no one on the line.

They called back, got no answer and decided to check things out.

In the apartment, they found Tommy the cat lying by a telephone on the living room floor.

The phone in the living room is always on the floor, and there are 12 small buttons,— including a speed dial for 911.

"He'’s my hero," Rosheisen said.