Good Dog, Great Story


Good dog.

A German shepherd has been credited with saving its owner by placing a call to 911, according to a Sept. 13 story in the Arizona Republic.

Scottsdale police say a service dog named Buddy dialed emergency dispatch when his owner Joe Stalnaker began to have a seizure. Stalnaker’s condition resulted from injuries he received during military service.

He adopted Buddy as an 8-week-old puppy and trained him to retrieve the phone when seizure symptoms manifest. If Stalnaker has blacked out or cannot place the call himself, Buddy uses his teeth to press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line.

Buddy, now 18 months old, can be heard whimpering in an audio recording of the 911 call. Emergency responders arrived at the home about two minutes later.

“Buddy, he basically gives me my independence,” Stalnaker says. “He’s my world. He’s my best friend, no question. He’s always there, and I just hope I can be as good to him as he’s been to me.”

Read the full story here: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/09/15/20080915dog0915.html

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