27-06-2025
Rescue dog senses stranger's oncoming seizure at pet adoption event
A routine pet adoption event at a Virginia church took an extraordinary turn when one of the foster dogs reacted to an oncoming medical crisis in a stranger — and in doing so, rescued him.
Sienna, a 4-year-old labradoodle-pit bull mix and one of the shelter's 'sweetest dogs,' was found as a stray in a neighboring town, said Barbe Shackelford, vice president and director of Friends of Campbell County Animal Control in Rustburg.
Sienna was among the dozens of pets looking for a forever home at the adoption event earlier this month. She was calmly greeting attendees when, according to the shelter, she abruptly broke away from a group and walked straight to a man she never met before.
'She sat quietly at his feet, refused to budge, and softly placed her paw on his leg,' the shelter wrote in a Facebook post detailing the event. 'It wasn't a trick. It wasn't prompted. It was pure intuition.'
Moments later, the man's wife approached and recognized he was having early warning signs of an oncoming myoclonic seizure.
'Sienna knew. Before any human saw the signs, she knew,' the shelter wrote.
The man, identified as Josh Davis, told The Washington Post he has epilepsy and had forgotten to take his medication that morning. Thanks to Sienna's intervention, his wife quickly helped him return home, where he was able to rest and recover.
'If he hadn't calmed down and went home to rest, even with the [ vagus nerve stimulator ], he was very likely to have a full-on convulsion seizure,' Kristen told the Post.
Neither the shelter nor its volunteers trained Sienna to detect seizures — her actions were purely instinctive.
Shackleford told NBC that Sienna has been house-trained and has raised litters but, otherwise, has no formal service dog training.
'We've always known Sienna is special. But today, she reminded us that sometimes the ones we rescue are the ones who end up rescuing,' the shelter wrote.
Kristen David, Josh Davis' wife, commented on the shelter's Facebook post that while the family would have loved to adopt Sienna, they already have three other dogs and lacked the room and resources to house another pup.
However, Sienna wouldn't be homeless for long. As her story went viral, adoption requests poured in to the shelter.
Sienna was eventually adopted by a Roanoke family who has two sons, including one with epilepsy. Shackelford said Sienna has 'chosen her special person and has not left his side.'
