Service Dog Saves Owner

German shepherd alerts animal control to woman’s emergency

Commentary
by Bruce Felps

The Parker County sheriff’s department credits a 5-year-old German shepherd named Bear with saving his human from a wicked seizure.

Two officers from the Parker County Animal Control department, which falls under the sheriff’s heading on the organization chart, came upon Bear Saturday morning wandering along a road in Millsap, Texas, just north of Potato Hill and northwest of Tater Nob — neither of which have anything to do with this, but I thought the names, particularly Tater Nob, were funny.

Anyway, the dog’s tag and microchip information were outdated, but the officers could tell Bear was on a mission and started knocking on nearby doors.

Bear led the officers to the home of Deborah Zeisler, who officers deemed “extremely disoriented, confused, staggering,” according to a sheriff’s press release.

Turns out, Bear is Zeisler’s service dog. He senses her oncoming seizures and typically gives her enough time to medicate before a seizure strikes. In the rare case, like Saturday, when she fails to take her meds in time, Bear goes in search of help.

Saturday, he just happened to find the animal control personnel — Supervisor Karen Kessler and animal control Officer Terry Pena — and good dog, Bear, good boy.

According to that same release: Now Bear won’t let Zeisler out of the house until she takes her medication.

“He blocks the door until he sees that I take it,” Zeisler said. “He’s my savior.”

He’s also now an honorary junior sheriff’s deputy.


Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. He likes Bear, and he hope's Bear's tags and microchip have been updated.
 

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