It’s a story warming the hearts of people who love animals – particularly of those who train them to help people.
A black labrador, schooled to take care of her blind, diabetic owner, is understood to have “realised” midweek last week that all was not well in their day-to-day.
We are not told how, but the dog “sought outside help” which may have just have saved the woman’s life.
She was rapidly transported to Hospital São João in Porto. When she arrived, she was already in a hypoglycemic coma.
Her animal stayed with her throughout and is understood to remain at the woman’s bedside.
Hospital worker Vítor Torres has written over social media that he was part of the team that assisted the patient when she was admitted, and “had the pleasure to be with this animal” whose eyes ran with tears “at seeing her mistress’s suffering”.
“I saw in this animal what one often doesn’t see in humans”, Torres added.
The unnamed dog – given just the initial H. – was trained by the Associação Beira Aguieira de Apoio ao Deficiente Visual in Mortágua (Viseu) which donates animals to blind or partially-sighted people with the intention of giving these individuals limited by their handicaps “freedom”.
A member of the school’s training staff has added to the conversations online, saying that “it has to be stressed that our wonderdog wasn’t trained” specifically for this kind of intervention. “It all came from her”.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
Photo: Facebook: Escola de Cães-guia para Cegos
