A MOBBERLEY vicar saved his dog’s life by giving it the kiss of life – in the middle of a Knutsford couple’s wedding rehearsal.

As Toby Wilbraham and Caroline McGoun were having a run through of their wedding vows they were stopped in their tracks by the sight of St Wilfrid’s Reverend Ian Blay’s wife, Suzanne, running down the aisle with a dog in her arms.

Holding Izzy, eight, a Cairn Terrier, she was crying and shouting that she was dead, only for Rev Blay to remove a piece of cheddar cheese that was wedged in her throat and give her mouth to mouth.

Suzanne said the dramatic intervention – that happened on Monday, April 26 – was unbelievable.

“I was unpacking the shopping and gave Izzy a bit of cheese as a little treat ,” she said.

“She started choking, really, really badly and making noises and it was then when she just flopped on the floor.

“I slapped her then panicked and ran out of the house. I was going to run to the farm next door but then I remembered Ian was in the church.

“He removed the cheese and the father of the bride, Mike, then gave chest compressions to Izzy.

“I thought she was dead, it was unbelievable at the time.

“When I first ran into the church everyone just stopped and turned round.

“But when you look back at it, it is quite funny. To think she could have died from a piece of cheese though is terrible.”

It is not the first time Izzy has had a lucky escape.

When the couple lived in Droylsden, Manchester in 2004, she was stolen from their home and left beside a canal.

Suzanne said: “Ian said when I first ran in he didn’t believe she was dead, but it was only when he saw how floppy she was he then started to realise something was wrong.

“It was a big relief and very emotional when she came back round again.”

Toby’s mum, Helen Wilbraham, said her son had told her what had happened as they were fine tuning their big day.

“As the rehearsal was taking place, the vicar’s wife burst into the church carrying this limp dog and I have been told it looked like it was clearly dying,” she said.

“The vicar took the dog into the vestry and then scooped out a lump of cheese that was lodged in the throat. “He then gave it the kiss of life. Everybody who was there was just agog.”

The couple tied the knot in a wedding ceremony at the church on Saturday, May 1.