Shauna Darcy got Ruby as a service dog to help ease her anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia. What she didn’t expect was for Ruby to turn out to be an incredibly loyal companion who was willing to stick by her no matter what.
As Darcy mentioned to the Dodo, “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.”
Deciding to listen to Ruby’s cues, Darcy went to the doctor, only to discover she had underlying health issues she wasn’t aware of – including rare heart condition called vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Ruby knew something was wrong before Darcy did, and as a service dog, she made sure to alert Darcy to her cardiac issues.
Ruby hers Darcy every day to monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure, in addition to keeping her calm during panic attacks and retrieving her medications. This amazing dog even helps Darcy carry groceries, picks up dropped items, and grab items that she can’t always reach. She is even 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 is there for Darcy every single day no matter what
In fact, she even saved her life! Ruby began alerting Darcy that something was wrong – though Darcy had no idea what it could be since she was feeling fine. Regardless, she trusted Ruby and called for an ambulance.
“It turns out my heart was going into atrial fibrillation,” Darcy said. “By the time the paramedics came, I was in pain and barely conscious.”
As she was being rushed to the hospital, Darcy realized that Ruby had saved her life.
And her devotion to Darcy didn’t end there. Even while Darcy was unconscious in the hospital, Ruby refused to leave her side – staying with her in the hospital bed and pressing her body against hers.
During their hospital stay, there were many people who stopped by to say hi to Ruby and meet the friendly dog. Ruby was happy to meet all the new people, however, she never strayed far from Darcy’s side. The faithful dog was always quick to show Darcy just how much she is loved.
And Ruby doesn’t go unappreciated by Darcy as she knows very well, how much she does for her and is so grateful to her canine companion
