Shauna Darcy first welcomed Ruby into her home as a service dog which would help her with her ongoing struggles with anxiety, depression and agoraphobia.
However, her adorable dog companion quickly proved that she was much more than just a very good service dog!
Shauna told The Dodo the following:
“While she was training to be a service dog I noticed that she started picking up on changes in my heart rate and would act funny — for example, paw at me, try to get my attention, get on top of me, etc.”
After noticing her dogs’ behaviour, Darcy paid a visit to the doctor’s office and surprisingly discovered she had a rare heart condition, namely, vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
It appears Ruby had picked up on the fact that something was off even before Shauna noticed anything at all. Therefore, from solely being a service dog, Ruby’s focus was quickly shifted to her owner’s heart condition.
Consequently, Ruby began helping her mom with daily tasks such as monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure. She also aids Shauna whenever she experiences large amounts of stress or panic attacks, as well as with the retrieval of emergency medications.
What’s more, Ruby is an excellent assistant in running daily errands such as grocery shopping, as she helps her mom with dropped or out of reach items.
The lovely service dog is also trained in deep pressure therapy.
“When I pass out she gets on top of me and applies all her pressure on me and licks my hands and face until I come around,” Darcy said.
Ruby has her mom’s back on a daily basis, even in moments when Shauna doesn’t completely understand she is in need of help.
Just last week, Ruby started anxiously making her owner aware of the fact that something was wrong. Therefore, although feeling alright in the moment, Darcy decided to trust her dog’s instincts and call an ambulance.
“It turns out my heart was going into atrial fibrillation. By the time the paramedics came, I was in pain and barely conscious.”
As Darcy was rushed to the hospital, the paramedics quickly realized Ruby had saved her life.
Afterwards, while in the hospital with doctors working hard to stabilize Darcy’s condition, Ruby did not leave her side for a second. Even when her mom was unconscious, Ruby laid tirelessly by her side in hopes of making Shauna feel safe and protected.
During their time at the hospital, Ruby was very popular, as she is very sociable and likes to be around people. However, she always made sure she is close to her mom, showing endless deep affection and love.
Undoubtedly, without her loyal Ruby, Darcy would have had a very different life.
“I wouldn’t be alive without her,” Darcy said in a final, touching statement.
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