But this special connection started when Shauna Darcy decided a dog would help her in her endless fight with anxiety. And she wasn’t wrong at all. Because, with Ruby there was love at first sight. And the lovely pup has proved to be more than a service dog. Without realizing, when Shauna got Ruby, she won a friend. A true one!

“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,” Shauna told. “For example, paw at me, try to get my attention, get on top of me [and other stuff like that].”

In other terms, Ruby is more like a guardian angel for Shauna. She’s there for her adoptive mom, every single moment. And her daily routine includes monitoring Shauna’s blood pressure and heart rate, given that she also suffer of a rare heart condition called vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. More than that, this special also helps her human companion during her panic attacks, she carries groceries or picks dropped items.

“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,” the young woman said.
 

A few days ago, Ruby saved her mom’s life. She started to alert Shauna that’s something wrong. And even though the young woman was feeling good she chose to trust Ruby’s instincts and called an ambulance. “It turns out my heart was going into atrial fibrillation,” she said. “By the time the paramedics came, I was in pain and barely conscious.”

Thanks to her loyal and special dog, Shauna is able to breath again. But Ruby’s loyalty doesn’t stop her. She refused to leave her mom’s side while in hospital. Shauna is sure it was that special bond between her and Ruby what actually saved her life. “I wouldn’t be alive without her,” she said.