Woman Records Her Dog Caring for Her During a Seizure

Sometimes, a dog is so much more than a pet.

In the video below, a seizure assistance dog named Poppy appears to look over her owner Shannon, who begins to have a seizure. According to the 4-minute clip’s YouTube description, Poppy had alerted Shannon she would have a seizure 15 minutes before it began. This gave Shannon time to get to a safe place, where she then set up a camera to record. When Shannon begins to seize, Poppy licks her face. According to the video’s description, this action helps Shannon “come around quicker” as well as get rid of “excess saliva to help prevent choking.”

Other relevant stories:
• Can People with Epilepsy Drive
• How Does Epilepsy Affect Daily Life
• Famous People with Epilepsy 

Seizure assistance dogs can be trained to respond to their owners’ needs in different ways. Some dogs seem to be able to sense oncoming seizures and then alert their owners to prepare, according to Canine Partners for Life, a service dog organization. Some dogs are trained to bark to alert people nearby when their owner is already seizing, while others are trained to activate alarm systems, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Dogs can also be trained to lie down next to their owners to help prevent injury.