Note: This article was written by Serena Maria Daniels at the Chicago Tribune. To read the Tribune piece in its entirety, click here.

Dr. Larry Kosinski’s 8-year-old Chihuahua, Valentino, was dead.

Another dog that Kosinski, 58, of Barrington, had been pet-sitting during the Bears’ loss Sunday against the Redskins apparently bit the 3-pound Chihuahua. The dog, wearing a tiny Brian Urlacher jersey, stopped breathing and had no pulse.

“He was a code blue,” said Kosinski, a gastroenterologist based in Elgin.

Luckily for Valentino, Kosinski is certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Kosinski quickly went to work on Valentino, who the doctor and his wife, Sherry, had rescued months earlier from a puppy mill.

“It’s not that different from what you would do on an infant,” Kosinski said of giving Valentino CPR.

Kosinski gave Valentino a set of two quick rescue breaths, using his index finger and thumb to create a seal around the dog’s muzzle. Then, he put his hands around Valentino’s chest, with two thumbs around the sternum to begin compressions.

Success. Valentino’s chest rose after the rescue breathing, and his owner quickly saw life returning to him.

“He’s on the couch eating tonight; it’s a milestone,” Kosinski said.