Thanks to social media, the generosity of strangers and a little bit of luck, a Nova Scotia dog has a second shot at life.

Marianne Britney said she knew something wasn’t right with her four-year-old dog, Ted, when she came home one day and he didn’t jump up to greet her.

“He was very lethargic, nothing moving at all, didn’t want to eat. And I knew something was wrong immediately because normally Ted just runs around like a deer,” Britney told CTV Atlantic.

She brought Ted to a local animal clinic, where veterinarian Kelsey Harding delivered the news: Ted’s red blood cells were so low that it was hindering his body’s ability to carry oxygen.

“At that point we needed to look at a transfusion,” Harding said.

But the clinic’s supply of blood wasn’t a match. Desperate for help, Britney turned to a Facebook group for Bernese Mountain dog owners in the province.

“Ted has taken a turn for the worse. He needs a transfusion now,” she wrote in the post. “Please, if anyone can donate call the Metro Animal Emergency Clinic in Dartmouth.”

Britney said she considered her efforts a long shot. But the messages started pouring in, and she quickly had five dog owners volunteering to get their pets tested for a match.

“I just couldn’t believe it. There were a lot of tears,” she said.

Sandi Dacey was one of the first to respond. She said the Facebook group is an important support network for dog owners.

“If there’s an issue we can call on anybody and we’re always there to help,” she said.

Dacey’s dog, Argo, a Saint Bernard mix, ended up being the perfect match. Vets were able to draw blood and give Ted the transfusion he needed.

“For a dog to get blood from your dog and know it’s going to save them, it’s unbelievable. It brought tears to my eyes. It really did. I was overwhelmed. It’s special, it is,” Dacey said.

For Britney, the donation means Ted is able to live.

“Ted would not be here without Argo,” she said.

The transfusion forged a bond between the two dogs, and it also brought their owners together. Dacey stayed with Britney for eight hours to keep her company while Ted was undergoing the procedure.

“They wouldn’t leave me alone until I got to be with Ted afterward, which was pretty amazing,” she said.

With files from CTV Atlantic