There’s no denying that dogs really are man’s best friend. Not only do they make great cuddle buddies, but some of the more intelligent breeds can do some pretty amazing things. For example, did you know that some dogs are actually used to find bodies after a natural disaster strikes? Well, these dogs may not be trained professionals, but they sure do know when they have an emergency on their hands.Alexandra Naspolini is a proud resident of a small quiet suburban town in Florida. Typically, she was out and about by this time every morning, but she had decided to enjoy a cup of coffee in her living room before she ran her errands that morning. While she was admiring her garden, she noticed something unusual happen.
As she was sipping her coffee, a large black dog ran through her garden. As the dog raised its head, he locked eyes with Alexandra and proceeded to bark at her. Soon enough, an even larger dog joined the one staring at Alexandra. What was going on? Where had these dogs come from?
Alexandra lives in St. Johns, Jacksonville, where no one feels the need to put fences up around their property. They have a low crime rate, and it’s a community where everyone knows each other. So when the large dogs walked into her garden, Alexandra knew that something strange was going on.
Alexandra’s 62-year-old neighbor, Maureen Hatcher, was also enjoying her morning routine. Like always, she fed her Labradors, Bella and Sadie, and began to make her own breakfast before getting into the shower. Typically, Tyler, her grandson, was with her, but on this day she was by herself. As Maureen was getting prepared for the day, something sinister was about to show up on her security camera.
Sadie was the first dog to step foot into Alexandra’s garden. “I usually am very routine, but that day, I didn’t do my usual. I was sitting on the floor drinking coffee and saw her outside. Then I heard the other dog barking,” explained Alexandra. She couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
Just seconds before going to Alexandra’s, the barking dogs had made their way to the front door. On the footage taken from the security camera, the clever dogs can be seen using the handle to open the door. Then, they took off outside and immediately ran into Alexandra’s front yard. A passerby wouldn’t think anything of the dog’s strange behavior, but Alexandra knew that they were asking for her help.
It was more than obvious that there was something bothering the dogs. Alexandra immediately knew that they belonged to her neighbor, so she decided to just bring them back home. As they walked home, they kept turning around to make sure that Alexandra was following them. As they were showing her which way to go, Alexandra began to ask them where their mom was.
The security camera shows that Alexandra walked up to Maureen’s house and rang the doorbell. But when no one answered the door, she became scared that something happened to her neighbor. There was definitely something strange was going on. How did the dogs even get out? Where was Maureen? She waited a few moments, but instead of going back home, she walked inside of Maureen’s house.
Sadie and Bella wouldn’t stop barking as they led Alexandra into their house. As she paused for a moment, she nervously called out, “Hello?” in hopes of Maureen hearing her. Soon enough, she was following the dogs through the kitchen and into a bedroom. Alexandra froze as she realized why the dogs led her into the home.
As soon as she walked into the bedroom, Alexandra could see Maureen lying motionless on the bed with one side of her face hidden from view. All of a sudden, Maureen raised her head, but Alexandra could immediately see that something was wrong with her. Maureen’s left cheek was drooping and she was mumbling from confusion. It was clear that Maureen had had a stroke. With no time to lose, Alexandra called 911.
It only took a few minutes for St. Johns County Fire Rescue to arrive at the scene. As the dogs watched their owner being carried away, they howled from distress. “When the brain is deprived of blood, cells die and permanent brain injury can occur. Timing is everything. One of the most important factors that can lead to a good outcome for patients in these situations is to get the blood vessel opened quickly and successfully,” said Nima Amim Aghaebrahim, an interventional neurologist.
Maureen was rushed to the stroke center at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville. The specialist team was able to remove the blood clot from her neck successfully. Three days later, Maureen got cleared from her doctor to return home. Maureen was happy to reunite her dogs, who were surely missing her by now.
“I am blessed I don’t have any residual effects, and I attribute that to Dr. Nima and what the staff there did for me,” said Maureen in an interview. But she was most grateful for the way her dogs went and got help for her. “…The next thing I knew, I was eating the floor and couldn’t move, And I said to my girls [the dogs], ‘I need help.’ Someone asked me, ‘How did you train them to do that?’ And I just told them, ‘I didn’t train them,’” explained Maureen.
When Christmas rolled around that year, Maureen made sure to get her life-saving pups a very special treat.“There were presents under the tree and prime rib for dinner, and they were spoiled rotten,” she said. It looks like Maureen cares for her pups just as much as they care about her.
Soon enough, Maureen’s story was going viral and people from all over the world were sharing their own stories. One commenter said: “Many years ago my dog saved me when another dog attacked me while I was jogging. I saved her from being put down in a shelter, and she saved me. She was the best girl ever. No greater love.”
Many of the people commenting didn’t seem surprised at all that Sadie and Bella behaved the way that they did. “Dogs are amazingly sensitive to human emotions; they can pick up on the smallest distress signals and help. I’m so happy that you have two wonderful pups that’s a family to keep you safe and loved,” wrote one commenter.
As some of you may know, Labrador Retrievers were actually bred to be working dogs, as well as companions. As one of the most intelligent dog breeds, they were originally used to help fisherman catch fish and haul their nets. They’re also great for families because they’re so friendly. But, before you decided to go out and adopt one of your very own, make sure that you do a bit of research first.
Unfortunately, because so many like Labradors, there are plenty of puppies that are being bred by puppy mills and irresponsible breeders. So make sure that you always avoid places like these. And if you choose to go with a breeder, instead of adopting from a shelter, then look for someone who genuinely cares about the dogs and not just the money.
There are a few simple things to remember before you bring a Labrador into your family. First off, they love to eat and will become obese if they don’t get enough exercise or they’re overfed. The extra weight could eventually lead to hip dysplasia, so make sure you stay on top of their weight gain. It’s also important to keep them stimulated as often as possible. Labradors are highly intelligent so they can become destructive when they are bored.
If you do your research before you get a Labrador Retriever, then you will surely bring home the perfect pet. They are extremely receptive to learning new things, so it might be best to bring them to an obedience trainer. If you train your pup the right way then you might just have a life-saving dog on your hands like Maureen!
