A dog is being credited with saving the life of a woman who went into diabetic shock last month.
Bailey, a 4-year-old Shih Tzu and Yorkie mix in Schererville, Indiana, began barking at Norene Debold who was asleep on the couch about 5 a.m. on Dec. 29. Jennie Bailey, who has been diabetic for 31 years and also in renal failure, was in extreme danger nearby.
“Bailey just kept barking and barking and barking, and when I went in there Jennie was in the fetal position and ice cold,” Norene said. “She’s not a big barker, so when she was barking—something was wrong.”
Norene went to wake up her husband, Thomas, and call 911.
“The barking didn’t wake me or anything like that,” Thomas said. “But the minute the bedroom door opens, I pop up, and she says ‘come quick, Jennie’s unresponsive.’”
Paramedics arrived to take care of Jennie, whose sugar levels were dangerously low.
“Her sugar was so low they gave her three things of glucose,” Norene said.
Norene said Jennie’s temperature was 85 degrees by the time she got to the hospital.
“I don’t remember much but what they told me,” Jennie said.
She was not surprised at Bailey’s protective response.
“Oh, she’s special to me,” Jennifer said. “She saved my life quite a few times.”
The Debolds say Bailey is not trained in any special way and have no idea how she knew what to do.
“She’s just unbelievable,” Thomas said. “You know dogs can sense things that you don’t, until you see it and go through it, you don’t know how real it really is.”
