Domesticated dogs easily blend into the lives of humans and become an important part of their lives, serving different purposes ranging from being hunting companions to serving as guards, becoming men’s best friends, etc., but in some cases they do things that are least expected of them. This is probably due to the long-standing alliance over thousands of years between them, which makes dogs, the number one animal that’s able to grasp the entirety of human emotions and act upon them accordingly.
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Humans save dogs, but little do people know that dogs can also save humans in their own canine way. Superheroes save the day by protecting people from harm’s way, but would you be surprised if I said dogs are also superheroes, sometimes with capes and sometimes without? This is the story of the loyal Dante, a Labrador Retriever who was trained as a medical emergency response dog and saved his owner from dying from a heart attack. Medical Emergency Response Dogs (MERDs) are dogs made to undergo extensive training on how to recognize specific medical conditions and respond accordingly. Just like every Medical Emergency Response Dog (MERD), Dante has been trained to detect subtle changes in his owner’s behavior or bodily movements through his keen senses of smell, hearing, and observation, which gives him the ample ability to respond to his medical emergency when it’s required since he has been diagnosed with heart disease, making him specifically useful to improve or enhance the health, wellbeing, and safety of his owner before things get out of hand.
THE DAY DANTE MADE A MIRACLE HAPPEN
For a while, his training had become a dormant part of his life, he just had it in case nothing happened for some time. Nobody knew it was going to come in handy anytime soon because it doesn’t look like he was going to have a heart attack, and it definitely was least expected on the fateful evening when his owner got a call on the house phone, which was unusual. Before he could drop the phone, the phone slipped out of his hands and fell to the ground, first calling Dante’s attention to him. He clutched his chest and slumped before Dante could reach him. Dante sprang into action immediately, having detected changes in his scent and behavior, signifying a heart attack.
In order to alert him, he barked and pawed at him, but he was no longer responding, and then Dante knew he was in danger and could die any moment from then if he didn’t call for help soon.
He quickly pawed on the phone as he had been trained to dial the emergency number as set in their emergency alert system, but it didn’t; maybe it was disconnected as soon as the old owners moved and abandoned him, thinking it was not going to come into use. Seeing that it didn’t activate, Dante ran out the doggy door and went pawing and barking at their neighbor’s door. After so many attempts, when the neighbor saw that the dog wasn’t going to give up, he followed him to their apartment, wanting to report Dante to his owner to keep him at bay. On getting into the house, that was when she realized the danger, and she quickly dialed 911, calling for medical help.
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In less than 5 minutes, the paramedics matched into the house in response to the emergency dial. When they came in, he was barely breathing and in a critical condition. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered alongside oxygen, and Dante hovered around them, willing his owner to live, The neighbor patted his back just like she was telling him to calm down and that everything was going to be alright while she told the paramedics how she came to know he was in danger. After working tirelessly for several minutes to revive him, his heart finally began to beat again, and he was taken on a stretcher to the hospital emergency department, where he got the proper treatment.
His owner recovered rapidly after surgery to remove clots from one of his blocked arteries, which was what caused the heart attack in the first place, with the trigger being the frantic call. When he asked how he had been brought to the hospital, the medical team praised Dante for his act of bravery and the courage that he showed in his health and safety and told him to care for and love him more, just like he has always done, because his quick thinking and action saved his health from getting worse and thus, ultimately, from death. He was moved to tears, and he vibrates as he sobs on the hospital bed because he didn’t expect his dog, an abandoned dog he found in his backyard when he moved into the house that had starved for days or probably months, to have that kind of training to save his life and help him when he also needed it the most.
Dante couldn’t go with them to the hospital, so he was left in the care of his owner’s neighbor. Every day until his owner returned, he waited for him by the door, hoping and praying that he was able to help him in time and that he was okay. For days, he ate less, waited, and whimpered more, anticipating his owner’s return. Even the neighbor tried to calm him down and say that his owner was doing fine, but he seems like he won’t be convinced until he comes eye to eye with him alive and well. And one day, when he came through the door, Dante jumped on him, barking and licking his face, Both of their eyes were filled with tears of joy, and relief was evident on Dante’s face. They hugged each other, shaking from emotions, and Dante barked vehemently, waggling his tail proudly, One was him being proud of his achievement of being able to utilize his training to save his owner, and he was also happy he was back home, hale and hearty, and they could soon go back to their life of fun, love, and happiness.
LIFE AFTER COMING BACK FROM HEAVEN’S GATE.
Every dog owner and even a non-dog owner talked about Dante’s bravery and commitment to his owner, he became the talk of the town, and everyone who visited their small town learned about Dante, the loyal and caring dog who gave his owner a second chance at life. For a long time, his story remained an inspiration for the entire community, some to adopt dogs and for those who already have one to train their dogs to be Medical Emergency Response Dogs (MERDs), thus helping them to make better decisions about saving their lives in the future.
And his owner? He showered him with more love and treats to show his appreciation and affection for him for saving his life. Their bond grew and waxed even stronger. Dante became more alert and vigilant in watching his owner in order to prevent future attacks and problems. It was later found out that the call he got telling him his son died in a car accident wasn’t meant for him in the first place. There was a wrong digit in the number dialed, which turned out to be him, but he just had a heart attack for no reason at all. This was found out after he was admitted to the hospital and his son was contacted as his guardian. Since dead people don’t come running through the door or take elevators, nor do they swipe their cards and pay for their father’s hospital bills, everyone figured that whoever the call was for, it definitely wasn’t for him.
Regardless, both lived with the utmost love, with his owner treating him with renewed respect and fondness. His owner and his son remained forever grateful to Dante, and he paraded him as the hero he was, even going as far as buying different capes to further reinforce his role in his life and in society. He continued to tell all and sundry of Dante’s story, knowing that he was more than a pet but a guardian angel and his loyal companion. The person who was most incredibly touched by this story is the person who aided him in helping his owner, and that’s his neighbor, She lived alone and has spent her life in such a way since her children moved away from the town to the city in search of greener pasture. She further understood the significance of having a companion. Not only did she become friends with them, but she also adopted a dog. Dante became more loved in the community, and most people believed that if Dante was with you, he could easily detect a potential medical danger or emergency and avert it or prevent their health from deteriorating.