Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Dog praised for life-saving call
BBC ^

Posted on 06/20/2006 4:46:57 PM PDT by traumer

A US dog has won an award for saving her owner's life by dialling a phone number that alerted emergency services to her owner's diabetic seizure.

Belle the beagle triggered a call to an ambulance crew by biting on her owner, Kevin Weaver's, mobile phone.

The dog was trained to detect potential diabetic attacks by licking and sniffing Mr Weaver's nose to check his blood sugar levels and pawing him.

Belle resorted to dialling for help when Mr Weaver fell unconscious.

The dog used her teeth to press the number nine key, which the phone was programmed to interpret as a "911" call to emergency services.

Ambulance workers answered the phone and, hearing nothing but barking at the end of the line, rushed to the caller's house in the city of Ocoee in Florida state.

The dog is the first animal to receive the Vita Wireless Samaritan Award.

"I am convinced that if Belle wasn't with me that morning, I wouldn't be alive today," Mr Weaver said.

"Belle is more than just a life-saver. She's my best friend."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: canine; dog; doggie; doggy; emergency911; mansbestfriend; paramedics; rescue; woof
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 06/20/2006 4:46:58 PM PDT by traumer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: traumer
Beagle
2 posted on 06/20/2006 4:49:01 PM PDT by traumer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traumer
This is the second case I have heard of this happening.

I will never forget my old dog Jocko when I went down with heart problems. He was so pitiable crawling under me and trying to get me off of the floor. The EMT's finally had to put him out of the house. After they loaded me in the ambulance, my neighbors said between Jocko, my other dog and their dog, it was right out of the Twilight Zone. They all let out mournful howls for hours after ambulance left.
3 posted on 06/20/2006 4:57:28 PM PDT by U S Army EOD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traumer
AWWW. What a good girl. I bet she would have rather had a years supply of doggie biscuits than an award though :')
4 posted on 06/20/2006 5:25:19 PM PDT by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: traumer

IIIIIIIIIII don`t believe it!!! How can a dog make a phone call much less explain the sickness of a diabetic? What`s next, dogs making airline reservations? Dogs don`t even understand the door knob concept! You ever see a dog open a door? NO! They try and try but they are all too stupid to realize that all one need to do is TURN the knob, but they can`t even get to that point! All they do is tap tap tap the knob, like A DUH like that is suppose to open it! I mean how many examples do they need that tapping a door knob is NOT going to open the door? Yet they keep tapping the knob! That = STUPIDITY my friend! And this article is trying to suggest that a dog called 911 and explained a diabetic? Ho ho ho! I think not there pal! Nice try but I am not buying the legitamacy of this article! Dogs don`t even understand the toilet concept for crying out loud! Have you ever seen a dog use the bathroom? No, they still think everyone has to go outside! Hell-OOOOOO!!!! OK? And if it wasn`t for leashes these retards of the animal king dom would be all running into oncoming traffic! A duuuuuuh....uhhhhhh.... look at this Makc truck coming down the street...uhhhh...Let me run in front of it! Duuuuuuh!


5 posted on 06/20/2006 5:46:28 PM PDT by Screamname (Someone answer this Since when did National Geographic become a super leftist propaganda periodical?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Screamname

They are trained like seeing eye dogs. They don't know they are calling for help (probably) but they are conditioned for certain responses. I did have a cat once though, that would stretch up to the door knob and try to turn the handle, when he wanted out.


6 posted on 06/20/2006 5:52:52 PM PDT by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Screamname

Umm, ok.


7 posted on 06/20/2006 5:53:57 PM PDT by ahayes ("If intelligent design evolved from creationism, then why are there still creationists?"--Quark2005)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: traumer

Good doggie!


8 posted on 06/20/2006 5:56:15 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Screamname

My dog knows that doorknobs turn, and he tries to use his paws to turn them. His paws are too dry to have any friction and he doesn't have an opposable thumb so it doesn't work too well, but he clearly understands that the humans turn this thing to get through the door.

In Europe a lot of animals go in and out freely because people have levers rather than knobs on their doors.

I have also had horses who knew quite well how to use their very mobile lips to open stall doorlatches and feed-room door latches. We had a young mare who, when she heard the stable phone ringing next to her stall, would reach out her long neck and knock the receiver off the hook. The caller would be very perplexed at the noises he heard then.

Just because animals don't speak English doesn't mean they don't understand a lot and aren't intelligent.


9 posted on 06/20/2006 6:00:43 PM PDT by Fairview
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

Wow - Saved by the Belle.


10 posted on 06/20/2006 6:02:25 PM PDT by KarenDay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: traumer

Good Dog, Belle! You definately know who dishes out the kibble in your house, LOL!

I'm pretty sure my cats would let me die, then eat chunks of me until someone noticed I was missing. The dogs might make a fey attempt at saving me, but I fear I would be a goner in the end either way. ;)


11 posted on 06/20/2006 6:06:55 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Screamname

Down, boy!


12 posted on 06/20/2006 6:07:13 PM PDT by BushMeister ("We are a nation that has a government - not the other way around." --Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Screamname
Dogs4Diabetics dogs have been specifically trained to identify, and more importantly, act upon the subtle scent changes that hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) creates in body chemistry, changes undetectable to their human companions.

Dogs4Diabetics

13 posted on 06/20/2006 6:09:11 PM PDT by Madame Dufarge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Screamname
I'm not one to overanthropomorphise dogs, but it seems at least feasible that the dog got lucky and hit the right button.

I mean, after all, I think I've seen evidence of lesser animals making posts...
14 posted on 06/20/2006 6:10:44 PM PDT by beezdotcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Screamname
Let me see, who do I believe?

A dog who was trained for $8,000 to save his owner's life, or a poster called "Screamname" who posts that totally bizarre screed?

The dog makes more sense to me.

15 posted on 06/20/2006 6:14:22 PM PDT by Jorge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Screamname

Dogs are not as dumb as you think they are. Perhaps they are even smarter then you


16 posted on 06/20/2006 6:15:59 PM PDT by Kaslin (Bad news for the left..President Bush's plan is working, and the Carl Rove indictment went bye bye)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Fairview

I have a horse that can untie knots and open certain types of latches.


17 posted on 06/20/2006 6:17:26 PM PDT by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Screamname
"You ever see a dog open a door? NO! "

I trained my dog to close the door when he came in.

And he did open our French doors leading to the sun porch. But the method was a little unorthodox. He'd wait till about 2 in the morning when we were too tired to be angry with him then he'd get a running jump and hit the doors right in the middle. 115 lb dog + running jump = French doors springing open. Then we would hear thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, as he bolted up the stairs and we would brace ourselves for the impact as he jumped in the middle of our bed.

18 posted on 06/20/2006 7:07:03 PM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin
then eat chunks of me until someone noticed I was missing.

This happened to my grandfather's brother. Apparently he died of natural causes. Without someone in the house to feed them, the dogs ate him until someone noticed he hadn't been around lately and went over to check. I can't imagine what that must have looked like.

19 posted on 06/20/2006 7:12:17 PM PDT by radiohead (Hey Kerry, I'm still here; still hating your lying, stinking, guts you coward.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: traumer

woof


20 posted on 06/20/2006 7:17:12 PM PDT by Wheee The People
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson