Dog dials 911 after owner suffers seizure
Lindsey Collom - Sept. 13, 2008 10:34 PM
The Arizona Republic
A German shepherd has been credited with saving its owner from serious harm or death by placing a call to 911 this week.
Scottsdale police say a service dog named Buddy dialed emergency dispatch Wednesday when his owner, Joe Stalnaker, began to have a seizure.
Stalnaker's condition resulted from injuries he received during military service.
He adopted Buddy as an 8-week-old puppy and trained him to retrieve the phone when seizure symptoms manifest. If Stalnaker has blacked out or cannot place the call himself, Buddy uses his teeth to press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line.
Buddy, now 18 months old, can be heard whimpering in an audio recording of the 911 call placed about 11:45 a.m. Emergency responders arrived at the home about two minutes later.
Stalnaker told reporters that it was the third or fourth time that Buddy has made a 911 call. A statement from Scottsdale police said Stalnaker was in the hospital for two days but has recovered.
"Buddy, he basically gives me my independence," Stalnaker said during an interview. "He's my world. He's my best friend, no question. He's always there, and I just hope I can be as good to him as he's been to me."
