Local US Veteran Credited a Heroic Service Dog With Saving His Life
A former U.S. Army and Marine, Hank Ford has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for years, which often leads to feelings of paranoia and distrust. However, his life took a drastic turn when he received a service dog from a nonprofit called Dogs, Inc. two years ago.
The 3-year-old yellow Labrador named Tommy has become an integral part of Ford's daily routine, waking him up every morning at 7 a.m. But one fateful day in February, Tommy woke Ford up early with unusual ferocity - barking incessantly and pawing at his chest until he got out of bed.
Ford was immediately alert to something amiss and made it to the hospital only to discover that he had suffered a serious stroke during his sleep. Had Tommy not intervened, Ford's life might have been irreparably damaged.
The doctor revealed that if Tommy hadn't started barking and pawing at him, Ford would likely have remained unaware of the danger and could have suffered a massive stroke, which could have left him permanently disabled or even deceased.
Fortunately for Ford, he received timely medical attention and underwent cardiac ablation and medication. Nine months later, he reports feeling significantly better than before.
The heroic actions of Tommy can be attributed to his well-trained instincts as a service dog. Dogs, Inc. provides service dogs not only to veterans like Ford but also guide dogs to individuals with visual impairments and future plans to provide diabetes-detecting dogs for people with type 1 diabetes.
Ford's story serves as a poignant reminder of the invaluable role that service animals play in saving lives, providing companionship, and offering support to those in need.
A former U.S. Army and Marine, Hank Ford has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for years, which often leads to feelings of paranoia and distrust. However, his life took a drastic turn when he received a service dog from a nonprofit called Dogs, Inc. two years ago.
The 3-year-old yellow Labrador named Tommy has become an integral part of Ford's daily routine, waking him up every morning at 7 a.m. But one fateful day in February, Tommy woke Ford up early with unusual ferocity - barking incessantly and pawing at his chest until he got out of bed.
Ford was immediately alert to something amiss and made it to the hospital only to discover that he had suffered a serious stroke during his sleep. Had Tommy not intervened, Ford's life might have been irreparably damaged.
The doctor revealed that if Tommy hadn't started barking and pawing at him, Ford would likely have remained unaware of the danger and could have suffered a massive stroke, which could have left him permanently disabled or even deceased.
Fortunately for Ford, he received timely medical attention and underwent cardiac ablation and medication. Nine months later, he reports feeling significantly better than before.
The heroic actions of Tommy can be attributed to his well-trained instincts as a service dog. Dogs, Inc. provides service dogs not only to veterans like Ford but also guide dogs to individuals with visual impairments and future plans to provide diabetes-detecting dogs for people with type 1 diabetes.
Ford's story serves as a poignant reminder of the invaluable role that service animals play in saving lives, providing companionship, and offering support to those in need.
anyway, its cool that dogs inc is doin some good work with service dogs but lets not glorify these animals 2 much... theyre just doin their job.
. Having a PTSD diagnosis can be really tough, but it sounds like having a trained service dog like Tommy has been a game-changer for him. I mean, the guy might've woken up early and freaked out - but that's actually what saved his life 
! It's amazing to think about how instinctively Tommy knew something was wrong and reacted just in time.
Anyway, I'm super glad Hank is doing better now, and I think it's awesome that Dogs, Inc. is providing these life-saving service animals for people like him (and others with disabilities). It just goes to show how much of a difference they can make in someone's life 
!
This is insane! I'm glad Hank Ford got help when he needed it most. Service dogs like Tommy are literally lifesavers! 
It's crazy how much instinct a dog can rely on, and it's amazing that he was able to wake Ford up in time. The fact that Ford would've been totally oblivious to the danger if Tommy hadn't barked is just wild. 
Glad to hear Hank's doing better now too! 
9 months is a big deal, and it sounds like Tommy really made all the difference. I'm definitely going to spread the word about Dogs, Inc. and how they're changing lives! 
it's crazy how much of a difference those instincts and training can make. And it's not just about saving lives, but also providing companionship and support... it's like they're little angels in fur coats 
anyway, I'm so glad Hank is doing better now, and I think we should all be giving out more props to these amazing animals