We humans owe a lot to our dogs. Not only are they adorable companions that make our lives happier, they also make a regular habit of rescuing us from certain disaster.
Dogs tend to be much more sensitive to their surroundings than their two-legged companions, for a few different reasons. They have finely-tuned ears, and a nose that can pick up a scent from miles off (or from the depths of a deep sleep.) They also seem to be able to pick-up on tiny changes in air pressure.
Needless to say, when danger comes knocking, our canine companions tend to take action before we even realize that there’s a problem — like in the case of this brave pooch who managed to alert his owner moments before an earthquake hit.
Some dogs are even able to detect oncoming seizures in their human companions, sometimes up to thirty minutes before the episode comes on. Poppy the yellow Labrador is one such remarkable animal.
Poppy, a 2-year-old lab, is a service dog paired with Shannon Locke, a 23-year-old living with epilepsy. Just last week, Poppy alerted Locke to an upcoming seizure, and she was able to set up her camera in time to record the pooch’s life-saving actions.
Poppy alerts Locke by pawing at her, or by nuzzling her with her snout, usually about fifteen minutes before an episode starts. This gives Locke enough time to find a safe place to lie down, and, in this case, to hit record. Watch the video below to see Poppy's heroics in action.
Warning: Please note that the following video shows footage of a medical emergency, and may be upsetting to some viewers.
h/t: The Daily Mail
This is the incredible footage that Shannon Locke managed to capture just moments before experiencing an epileptic seizure.
Shannon wasn't sure at first if she wanted to share such a personal moment from her life, but decided that the world should see what Poppy is capable of.
She was embarrassed about her vulnerability in the video, but ultimately posted this to the Petminder N.I Facebook page, along with her video:
“I’ve thought long and hard about posting this as it’s incredibly embarrassing… But this is epilepsy. My gorgeous seizure alert dog Poppy alerted me to this 15 minutes before,which gave me time to set the camera up. Poppy is amazing and not only does she alert me but she brings me out of the post icle stage of a seizure. I hope everyone can now see how amazing she is my beautiful life saving fur baby, who I would die without (literally!!)”
Shannon has been having seizures since she was 17, and can have episodes several times a week, or as many as five in one day.
She calls Poppy her "lifeline," saying, "She's not only my best friend, she's a lifesaver. She has given me the confidence to get out and about and enjoy my life again."
Without Poppy and her life-saving talents, Shannon's life would be much more limited by her illness.
When Poppy senses that her owner is about to have an episode, she alerts by pawing and nuzzling her.
This alert usually gives Shannon fifteen to twenty minutes to get herself to someplace safe. In the video, you see her lying flat on her back on the cushioned surface of the bed to prevent injury. Once the seizure starts, Poppy stays by her side throughout.
In addition to giving Shannon the time to find a secure spot, Poppy also helps alleviate some of the symptoms of the seizure by licking Shannon's face during this episode. This helps clear her airways of saliva, and makes it easier for Shannon to breathe while she's seizing.
While Poppy can't prevent seizures, she can make them much easier on her owner.
As you can see in the video, Poppy continues to lick Shannon even after the active part of the seizure ends. Epileptic seizures tend to be followed by what's called a postictal phase. This is a period of exhaustion and disorientation immediately after a seizure that can lead to a fugue state or even a psychotic break. Poppy's sweet kisses also serve the very functional purpose of helping to wake Shannon up almost immediately, and reduce the risks of the postictal state.
Now, Shannon and Poppy are forming their own non-profit to fund research into the special abilities of dogs like Poppy.
The research is being led by Poppy's trainer Neil Powell, and by Queen's University in Belfast. If you're interested in following and contributing to the research, you can "like" the Disability Assistance Dogs page on Facebook. They've started developing different fundraisers in order to raise money to train more seizure-prevention dogs like Poppy, and to find out exactly what helps certain dogs sense an on-coming seizure.
In the meantime, Poppy and Shannon seem to be very happy to relax together.
The live together in Northern Ireland, where they're enjoying their moment in the spotlight. Poppy, in particular, has become quite the social media star. This video has now been viewed at least 1 million times, and people all over the world are writing in to let the dynamic duo know how much it means to them that Shannon shared her experience with epilepsy in such a public way. Together Shannon and Poppy are working together to demystify epilepsy and help the millions of people who suffer from the disease world-wide!
If you were amazed by the talent of this life-saving Labrador, please SHARE on Facebook to spread the word about the incredible new research being done to understand service dogs like Poppy.
