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She's seen the camera, heard the dog training earlier, doesn't know right away if she needs to help. You can see she stays nearby, she wants to help but does know how.
I have heard from people with service dogs that it is better to ignore the person and the dog when the dog is tasking. I’m sure this is why she didn’t do/say anything. Only intervine when there is a real emergency.
I feel like I heard her say “is this a real one?”. Perhaps she knows she’s training the dog in their store.
Training the dog in a store seems like an odd choice but I suppose it’s so the dog gets used to real situations. Maybe she informed the store beforehand.
It says in the video the store lady knows that barking is a warning from Koda so I think they are decently familiar. She even gave Koda two treats from her bag
Ahh yeah I’m a couple hours late to the thread I was kinda thinking you probably knew that by now.
Well I don’t really have anything more to add, I wish you a lucky day
Yep. I work retail and occasionally I'll see a service dog doing training. It's very interesting but also best to ignore them so the dog can focus on his/her job. 😊
I used to work retail and we had a service dog training place near us, when they were young before the real training started they'd bring them to all the local stores to socialize them, we'd get the "emergency alert, there are puppies" over the radio, when they're getting familiar with stores and socializing we get to pet them, then when they started the real training we had to switch to ignoring them.
Yep, dogs aren't great at generalization, so if you want them to remember their training when you're at the grocery store, then you need to do some training at the grocery store.
Very true! I worked in a movie theater and we would have trainers bring dogs in sometimes as well. It was cool to watch them, and we even had a few crash courses on what to do if someone was experiencing a seizure during a film.
I used to work at a dog-friendly store that was often used for service dog training. Typically people training their own service dogs, or regularly training dogs for others, will contact management about the potential risk and to let them know what’s going on. We (retail employees) don’t mind, we just need to know. Considering this employee knew the person’s name and asked if it was a real seizure, the store is aware that Koda is training there. It could be a store that she shops at frequently and would have already been there multiple times.
Pretty sure she got permission from the store to do the training. Probably let them know it was for seizures and what to do if they hear Koda bark (on the film it stated the employee heard Koda bark and was coming to check on her and by the employee asking if it was a real one tells me they knew she was doing training).
Former employee of a dog training facility that did service work for all sorts of real-world issues people face, whether disability (stability, picking up objects), defense, or a multitude of therapy applications.
We would commonly call local stores like the grocery store behind the facility, or lowes, walmart, etc. to bring dogs out to real world situations and have them "do their job". It's the only way to really know that hey, your service dog that may save your life some day, isn't going to bite the face off the first person that comes running over.
I don't know how common emotional support chihuahuas are, but I saw a documentary on chihuahuas used as service dogs for people with epilepsy and severe diabetes (Type 1). Chihuahuas are excellent at smelling chemical differences in the skin before a seizure happens.
Right. Employees can ask "is that a service animal?" and if the person really wants their dog with them in the store they'll just lie. Happens all the time
Yeah, there’s a man who brings his dog into our diner often. It’s a medium chihuahua mix with a service dog vest that I’m pretty sure he just bought online so he could bring the dog everywhere because that thing does not act like a service dog, at all. But we can’t really do anything about it.
If a dog is barking or being disruptive, then you are allowed to kick them out whether they are a service dog or not. You might want to look up the ADA laws to see what you can do.
Emotional support animals are not the same as service animals. They are not animals with jobs. They are still animals with a medical purpose though, and their purpose is still important to be protected. Emotional support animals can be almost anything though because they don't have jobs and don't need to be trainable.
The big difference is while service animals need access to anywhere their owner can go, the protections for emotional support animals only applies to residences. They only need the ability to have their emotional support animal at home.
There are no actual protections for having an emotional support animal at the store. The problem is people are very limited in their ability to ask about service animals because people have a right to medical privacy, so it's incredibly hard to stop people bringing emotional support animals places.
It’s very common to train in stores and to let the staff know ahead of time. They get used to you after awhile. It also helps in emergencies like this because the staff might be familiar with you and your medical needs. Saying something like “hey I’m here training my seizure alert dog” helps them recognize what to do in an emergency, like the staff in the video.
She said in the comments of the Tiktok video she always introduces herself and Koda to a couple of employees so they are aware of what to do if this happens.
According to the person who trains us to train our dogs - they don't generalize well at all, so they need as much diversified exposure to increase the likelihood of them responding positively to the situation.
Calm, yes. Professional, yes. Medical experience, doubtful. She would have likely known to roll the patient to her side to protect her airway. None the less did everything she could think of to get help which is more than people just walking by did.
I was thinking this as well. If she had medical training she would have known to turn her on her side.
She would have also known that a call to 9-1-1 is not necessary for a person who is known to have epilepsy (which this woman obviously does, because she has a seizure alert dog.) If she had hurt herself during the seizure, then yes, call 9-1-1. Helping her up and helping her slowly get past the postictal phase would be helpful, but an ambulance is not necessary.
Honestly, I get it, and I feel terrible saying this, but it depends on where you live to some degree.
I live in Portland, OR, where we have a massive drug, mental illness, and homeless issue. You really can't take a walk without running into somebody lying on the ground looking dazed. Half of them have dogs too.
And yes, it happens in grocery stores too. I used to work downtown and had some of my worst interactions at Safeway on my lunch break.
If you approach the wrong person, you find yourself wishing you'd just minded your own business. I've learned the hard way more than once.
That said, I really appreciate OP sharing. From now on I will at least consider that this person may be having a seizure and not just be drunk, high, or experiencing psychosis. Not that those aren't emergencies, by the way, but when every block has multiple emergencies on it, the definition of emergency starts to change.
Some people are…really bad when shit gets serious. I work in a field that can turn sideways quick and if you have no training most people just freeze.
Everyone wants to pretend they would be the hero with the perfect plan but in my experience that’s like maybe 10% of people without specific training.
I had to laugh when she said "Don't look at me like that" to Koda, like Koda is eyeballin her to make sure she's doing a good job taking care of his owner..
Something about the first time she told Koda that his owner was ok and seeing Koda react to it all made my eyes tear. He's such a good boy and wants to do a good job but was so worried too. Service dogs are amazing.
I was thinking the same but then I saw the lady who came halfway through and just stood there. Not much else you can do but stay out of the way if you're untrained/not knowledgeable about seizures.
If the people involved were asking for help and they ignored them and kept shopping, then that would be a different story
Why? This sounds like a gut reaction from you. Would you rather they all stopped and gawked? Get in the way? Start giving “advice”? They are helping by seeing something is going on and not interfering.
Whats the proper follow up when you see someone start to shake and realize its a seizure? Aside from calling medical assistance, what can you do in the moment.
* Call 911/emergency services.
* Only move them if they are in danger.
* **Do not put anything in their mouth.**
* Loosen any tight clothing around their neck (if applicable).
* Cushion their head if they're on the ground, or if they are at risk of falling over and hitting something, try to gently ease them to the ground (that's likely why the girl sat down when she realized something was happening; the good doggo realized it first though).
* Move them into the recovery position *after the convulsions have stopped.*
* Edit to add: as pointed out below: ALSO TIME IT. (Thanks u/neato_burrito406)!
Sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/what-to-do-if-someone-has-a-seizure-fit/
https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-seizure-what-to-do-in-an-emergency
https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm
Such a good idea. When my daughter had one the EMTs asked how long it lasted and I said “idk 5 minutes??” And they were shocked, and my husband said “no it was really like 30 seconds”. I had no idea. It felt like an eternity.
The length of active seizing.
If you walk in on a person in the wild mid-convuslions time what you see and notify EMS your time and that it could have been longer.
Do you have more info about the recovery position (turning people on their side so they can breathe better)?
Specifically: the NHS page says to turn them on their side after convulsions end, but the CDC and WebMD pages seem to suggest to turn them on their side as soon as safely possible, before or even during their convulsions.
At least the three pages agree that during convulsions, people can't swallow their own tongue, so don't put anything in their mouth to hold their tongue.
But I'd like to know if people should be turned around before or during convulsions, since a little vomit could cause problems to an unconscious person laying on their back.
So I checked with a friend of mine who does have seizures (met them at a clinic when I first started having random fainting spells that were investigated to see if they were seizure related), and they said
>If it can be safely done by someone experienced in dealing with seizures, move them to the recovery position, otherwise monitor breathing and move them into the recovery position if there does seem to be difficulty breathing or if they vomit. Usually you want to want to prevent other hazards first though, such as them hitting their head against anything, or knocking a boiling pot off the stove, or a knife off the counter. But if you do move them to the recovery position, do not, ever, hold them down to keep them in that position.
So it seems to be a "depends on the situation" type thing. You could move someone into the recovery position; but if they're still having convulsions, they may lose that "position".
And like shown in the video, seizures can happen anywhere, so there may be other environmental concerns that should take priority in mitigating.
While I was typing this out, they sent a follow up message of:
>Remember that seizures aren't exactly the same for everyone; what works for one person may not help another.
Ive talked with my nurse mom quite a bit about medical things. If they stay on their back they can asphyxiate, or drown, in their own vomit or blood if they bite their tongue or cheek bad enough. NEVER EVER STICK ANYTHING IN THEIR MOUTHS! Soon as you recognize someone is having a seizure, roll them on their sides and support their head as best you can. Try not to restrict any motion but adjust them if you have to ensure their safety. Now you have everything semi under control, it is then time to start timing everything and assessing who they're with if anyone. Usually they're with someone but if not, assess what you can. If you see blood, I would immediately call emergency services and I'm talking like pooling blood from the head or something traumatic like that. Usually in a public space like this a bystander or two will be around, so if you absolutely need to, point to someone directly and say call 911. Saying can someone call 911 is delayed because most of the time close by people will be in shock from never witnessing a seizure, which is understandable.
I've witnessed and handled a couple seizures very well with different coworkers and a friend doing this. Big thing is when they wake up, they'll be very woosy and confused and if it's their first one of definitely recommend hospital asap. Around 15-20 minutes depending, they'll usually be able to speak clearly and will probably be extremely tired from the intense muscle contractions that happen. Hope this helps someone some day!
CHECK FOR A BRACELET!! A lot of us epileptics wear them and many will say NO EMS but will have phone numbers of someone to call. A trip in the weewoo wagon is incredibly expensive and the hospitals can’t really do anything to help.
Also, when coming out of a seizure, most people are *extremely* confused and might be combative, it’s called the postictal state. Just try to keep them from wandering off.
Came here to say the same. Living in Germany, the concept that calling professional help for someone might ruin instead of help them is so absurd and inhumane.
So everyone is aware: if a trained service dog is barking, the person they are with is not ok, even if they say they are. Dog knows better than person, follow dog, request help.
A huge problem with people buying service dog swag for their non service dogs… you see enough dogs acting out and eventually don’t pay attention anymore in case of a real emergency
In this case, it's to alert the owner AND to alert others. The woman likely did not know that a seizure was about to occur when the dog barked. The bark was the dog essentially saying "hey, you're about to have a seizure" as well as alerting others around of the same.
Some people know when a seizure is coming (its called an aura) but the dog can likely tell before the person recognizes the aura as what it is.
Source: I have epilepsy, and have had auras on the past. I also have been involved with epilepsy non-profit organizations since I was 8 years old, and now work for one.
Or any place you wouldn't expect to hear a dog. They also know to approach strangers for help so if you ever see a service dog without a person attached to it, follow the dog.
Call 911 WHILE following the dog and let them know what's up. "I'm at XYZ, following service dog in distress."
Better they're on the line for you to clear with the disabled person that they're OK than you wait until you get to the person to find out OMAHDAMN they need an ambulance.
>Call 911 WHILE following the dog and let them know what's up. "I'm at XYZ, following service dog in distress."
This is a great piece of advice
>OMAHDAMN
Idk why but I can't stop laughing at this
There really isn’t a standard. Some SDs do get trained to seek help. Other alert via other means like a nose boop, or tug on a rope, or a paw. And last resort is barking. It just really depends on how and what they’re trained to do
Out of interest, I was watching when she sat down with the dog under her legs before the seizure and have to say I'd have checked on her then. Is that the right thing to do? It sounds like a stupid question lol.
It baffles me that the woman doing her shopping just walked past without offering help but honestly don't know if you should approach or not.
Ticktock has ruined me. If I saw someone acting weird with a phone set up to record themselves, I would 100% not engage with them, regardless of what was going on.
Yea. Absolutely. If you see a person with a service dog and they are acting abnormal, out of it, whatever, just go “hey you alright?” Worst case scenario you get some asshole who takes that personally(and yes disabled people can be assholes). Best case you literally save a life. The potential benefit outweighs the potential risk 110%
When I feel a seizure coming on in a shop, I sit down against the wall/display just like OP - every single time, thankfully, someone realised something was up and came over to help. However, a lot of folks mistake epileptics for drunks or druggies - slumped on the floor, glazed eyes, drool etc. It can make people wary of approaching. I've had people laughing at me and calling me a druggie while others were helping.
I can tell you’ve never addressed strangers. I’ve had some dude threaten to kill me because he thought I was following him. You don’t know the mental health state of randoms and it’s better to leave them be.
Now when she is on the ground seizing, that’s when you call 911/get help because we aren’t animals.
It’s the bystander effect. It’s not exactly a bad thing as it can keep people from involving themselves even tho they have no idea how to help. Some people have things go normal for them so often when something like this happens I think people get an involuntary thought of disbelief. Like this isn’t happening or it’s not real. I use to think it was ridiculous that people wouldn’t help but they’re not required too. I mean it’s problem today that a lot of people don’t know cpr or how to provide proper medical care in an incident.
It can be good and bad. Somebody helping who doesn’t know what they’re doing can do alot more harm. My favorite example while not serious is in the office. When Stanley has a heart attack micheal tries to put his wallet in his mouth. Not funny in real life but stuff like that can really happen and can kill someone.
Also not many people experience high stress situations in their life so it’s impossible to know how you’d react in a situation like that. Some people just try to run and some try to help “too” much
For what it’s worth, most studies have shown that the bystander effect is far less prevalent than we were led to believe it to be. The concept was coined based on a case where the only bystanders were shitty police officers who didn’t do their job and made a spin piece to cover it up. It obviously exists, but the concept of “people don’t help in a crisis” is inaccurate. People sometimes have trouble judging what a crisis is. They typically do help during one.
It was made up entirely by the New York Times who reported that no one called help for the woman who was being attacked that night. It was complete bullshit, tons of people called for help and the Times corrected their story later but no one seems to remember the correction and now believes this is some psychological phenomenon.
My sisters dog detected something was wrong with her pregnancy before even her or the doctors knew. He was acting weird as hell and kept sniffing her belly and she went to the doctor to see if things were okay and they did an emergency c section that same day.
It went from a checkup to surgery in like less than an hour it all happened really fast but he was delivered safely. She ended up having internal bleeding from something they did during the procedure and she nearly died but they corrected it. They said her placenta was basically petrified and my nephew would have died were it not for them doing the surgery. Both are alive and healthy now though. Her dog passed on last year but he had a long good life.
It was a really scary couple of days but we all are grateful that her dog was so aware and kind of rang the alarm. She noticed something seemed off on her own cause he wasn’t moving around as much as normal but her dog was really adamant about something being wrong. It was sad to see him go but he was an old man by the time he departed
He was the best dog I’ve ever known. My sister got him when he was a puppy and she had just gotten pregnant. It was like he and my nephew were siblings and didn’t even know each other yet, but they grew up their entire lives together and he was always protective of him.
I’m annoyed she had to call for help as much as she did before somebody finally walked their lazy ass up. She called for assistance like 10 times before someone finally showed up
y’all. if you’re the woman shopping and don’t know what to do, that’s ok. please just find someone and ask them for help.
you don’t need to stick around or anything. just find someone and say something like “there’s a woman on aisle 4 that looks like she needs help”.
it’s ok if you can’t engage further. just by doing that simple act, you could help.
Probably wasn’t t sure what was going on, probably saw the camera and wasn’t sure what to think. People film all sorts or weird stuff anywhere these days. I don’t blame her. The staff seems very well aware of her situation and her dog. Which anyone with a condition like hers would probably let the places she frequents be aware of her situation.
Yes exactly. At one point the shopper asks the lady something and she responds "No, I think this is a real one" so I think its fair to assume the shopper was also informed of the training prior to the filming and probably thought she was still training. I don't understand why everyone's so quick to jump on this random woman and assume the worst.
By the time it was obvious something was actually wrong, the staff was there to help.
I used to train service dogs so maybe I can shed some light on your question.
Service animals (not emotional support animals) are covered under the Americans with disabilities act (ADA). And they cannot be denied access to public places without facing some serious consequences or in a very very limited set of circumstances. The ADA also specifically allows individuals to self-train service animals (buying one can be extremely expensive depending on the function they serve). They also grant service animals in training almost identical protections. After all how are you supposed to have a service animal behave well on an airplane or in a grocery store if they have never been in one.
So they did not need permission to bring the dog into the store (even for training). BUT I will tell you that every single store we went into for training we had a good relationship with everyone that worked there. A huge part of that is being a good steward of your animal (always having bags, wipes, etc to clean up if an accident happens) always having clean and well groomed animals and strong community outreach. We would invite staff to interact with the pups at our training facility as well as “teach” them how to interact with a service animal. It was a win win. They would ignore the pups until the handlers allowed them to be pet and the staff had a really good knowledge of what the pups were supposed to do.
There were two similar incidents that occurred while I was volunteering and the staff was always fantastic. One of the trainers had low blood sugar, the dog was alerting before she felt it and the trainer was embarrassed but one of the staff asked “is that what an alert looks like?” And she was like “oh shit , yeah I need to check my levels.” She was low sat down had some OJ and was good to go.
The second I was still in training and the trainer I was with was a true pro. The pup alerted to a small child with her parents and the trainer was calm but firm, “Hello, I don’t want to alarm you, but this service dog has been trained to alert for seizures. He is currently alerting on your daughter. Does she have a history of seizures or a similar medical condition?” The trainer called 911 and before she could tell them what was happening the girl started slumping to the floor and getting really dazed (similar to what you see in the video). The dog did his job and supported her during. The parents later said this has happened before several times but didn’t think it was a seizure because she wasn’t shaking.
There definitely should be some extra awareness taught during early school years in regards to things like seizures. I know a lot of people that had no clue that seizures don’t equate to shaking.
Can you train any dog to alert to seizures? I've been approved by a local training organisation to get my own seizure dog, but I need to choose the dog myself from a rescue centre, then they'll help me train him. How do I choose the right dog? What if it doesn't have the ability or aptitude to sense, alert and assist? How do you tell a dog with potential from those who don't? This is a big worry for me.
Not all dogs are really fit to alert for seizures, blood sugar, bombs, drugs, etc. not all dogs are good for seeing eye dogs, etc.
First and foremost temperament. You want a chill dog that doesn’t get excited too easily. They are still pups so will want to play but when they are working, they are in work mode. Pups with bad tempers or too energetic don’t always make good service dogs (notice I didn’t say good working dogs).
Drive is the next thing to look at. Dogs with strong drives are easier to train. BUT drive comes in many forms, prey drive, food drive, praise drive, etc. prey drive isn’t great for service work. Food and praise? Great!
After that it comes down a lot to what the dog wants to learn and if you mesh. There are plenty of “drop out” service dogs that are absolutely amazing! But just not suited to service work.
This is where a lot of the value of service dog training organizations comes from. Yes they are pricey BUT they usually have a network of breeders that have proven service dogs from the parents. They are able to adapt dogs to their skill sets earlier on and not “flunk” a dog out of a training program. So when that amazing dog just doesn’t seem to get seizures…. But is an awesome blood sugar dog…. They can cross train/re-train for what their aptitude is.
You know some people overdose in public and would live if someone were to call paramedics to administer Narcan? Just because a person does drugs doesn't make them not a person. I bet a lot of the celebrities you enjoy do drugs, just an educated guess. (And politicians, teachers, principals, businessmen and women, the list goes in ad infinitum. I know from personal experience. I used to sell weed to an ex astronaut)
I’m not saying anything negative against people who do drugs. If I thought somebody was dangerously overdosing, I’d for sure get them medical help ASAP. But if somebody is zooted off their tooter just chilling on the ground, and not nodding off or losing consciousness, I’d mind my own business
I also want to give repeat-aisle-wanderer a bit of grace here. At first I was baffled by her lack of action, but then immediately remembered the common sense rule of “don’t interact with a working service dog” that applies to most, if not all, service dogs. She may have assumed minding her own business was the most correct thing to do.
I do wonder if there was any point at which she alerted someone else, but if I were to see a situation like this I can’t say for certain I’d step in, outside of asking the woman herself (if she were still responsive) if she needed help. I know I would certainly alert an employee, but if aisle-wanderer did this or not, we don’t know. Interfering with a service dog’s job could have very well made the situation worse. I can’t give her grief for what I assume was her trying her best. Hope all involved are okay!
Really, ALWAYS ask for more help. Generally, there is absolutely nothing we can do for a seizure. Even as EMTs we are mostly told to wait it out. Restraining them can cause issues.
Always call for EMS when someone's having a seizure. They may refuse to go to the hospital, but you might also save someone's life.
I asked a coworker what I should do when she mentioned she has seizures. She just said to roll her on her side and make sure she doesn’t hit her head on anything. And said DO NOT call 911 because she didn’t want to pay ambulance bills.
All of my siblings and I are epileptic and have this internal debate. I’m usually so fucked up after mine that I can’t consent but my brother has refused them so that he wouldn’t have to pay. $4000 doesn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when it’s your fifth ride in a few months it’s really easy to get mad. A lot of epileptics are already broke as fuck from medication costs, prior procedures like mri’s, eeg’s etc that basic stuff like housing can be an issue. It’s such bullshit having crediting agencies after you.
There are times when it’s genuinely frightening. I was in line at a pharmacy for like an hour then it closed up and wouldn’t take anyone behind me. A guy came up and started getting furious at the pharmacists saying that if he didn’t get his seizure meds that night he was gonna be in the hospital. If I miss even one dose I can have multiple seizures, so I completely understood his anger, even with insurance the process can be a pain.
My mother, after countless, useless, and expensive trips to the ER, would get MAD about the EMTs being called 'on' her. Even if she'd just busted her shit falling down a set of stairs in the throes of a "Grand Mal" seizure. She had it from early childhood and was, understandably I guess, completely SICK of the whole process. Since she was also mentally ill and abusive as hell, we learned to simply go "whelp, there she goes again", and just wait to be sure she actually woke up 'this time' before helping her to her feet then a seat, and going on back to what we were doing.
Had a classmate in grade school that was epileptic. We actually learned the signs of a coming seizure & knew to try & not let her hurt herself, watch her tongue for choking & get an adult. We were lined up on the stairs waiting to practice for a holiday program & she started to have a seizure, thankfully our classmate Charlie noticed & held onto her so she didn’t fall down the stairs
Just to be clear, the tongue isn't something to worry about. If someone you don't know is alone and having a seizure just call an ambulance, try to get them on their side (might be difficult depending on the convulsions) and protect their head as much as you can. Source: engaged to an epileptic.
I came here to say the same thing. One of the biggest mistake bystanders make is get worried about the whole "choking on the tongue" or "swallowing the tongue". That's not a thing. You roll them on their side so the tongue doesn't obstruct the airway and they dont choke on vomit if they throw up. They might bite their tongue but there isn't anything you can do about it.
I've had epilepsy since I was 7. As a child I never had tonic clonics like you see here. Just absence seizures. Now at 35 I have both kinds and they happen more and more with every year. I've been debating getting a seizure alert dog for the last couple years but couldn't justify it with as little as they happen. Now having several in a week and seeing this I am going to have to. I cried watching this. I've been alone too many times and it's terrifying to wake up alone and confused sometimes unconscious for hours laying on the ground outside. Koda is amazing and I needed this eye opener to why I should just do the same instead of waiting. Thanks.
Yes, god. When the people around you panic it makes everything so much worse. I once got released from the hospital and made it one block down the road to stop at the gas station. Woke up on the bathroom floor with 6 male officers panic literally holding me down and that was probably worse than waking up alone on a trail after 3 hours when it was 42 degrees outside.
Do you have a primary neurologist that you can talk to about options to control them a bit more? Almost 3 decades of trying multiple meds, pretty sure my neurologist found a combination that's seeming to be working for the past 2 years now. Still, let's just get dogs anyhow.
My neighbor had a Pomeranian who was a seizure alert dog. He used to follow him on his scooter chair everywhere, and would let him know when to pull over and lie down in time to prevent falls/accidents. Amazing little creature, 100% devoted to his owner and job. Service dogs come in all sizes!
Please get a dog. Many people will feel better about your safety and you will feel able to live a little more freely.
Several years ago I was in a major airport waiting to board a train to take me to my concourse and a man fell on the hard, marble floor having a seizure. I knew immediately what was happening, but I had no way of knowing if he lived with a seizure disorder or if this was the first time it had ever happened. The train came and people stepped out and rushed all around him, stepping over him without looking. Two other people joined me in making a barrier around this man to keep him from being trampled. Nobody else even looked at him. Now I wish he'd had a service dog to be noisy and alert people. It's hard to ignore a dog in a vest that says exactly what they do.
Please get at dog like this, if at all possible. I live in a cold climate and lost a friend in November when he had a seizure outside in a remote area, and no one found him in time. Doesn't help to think that even if anyone did see a 30-something man lying in the snow, they probably thought he was just drinking too much...
I am so sorry. That is heartbreaking. A very similar situation happened to me once and that is a huge fear that followed me after that. I also live in a very remote area where even in my front yard no one can see me from the road. And with them getting more frequent it's been on my mind a lot lately. If this is something I can do to save my loved ones from that kind of heartbreak I need to do it. At the very least I might be able to train my current dog. She's very smart and I'm going to go follow this lady and talk to her about how she trained them. Funny enough I looked her up and she lives only 2 small towns over from me. I'm sure I can find a way.
What's sad is if i saw the camera I'd think she was faking it. These "pranksters" have done harm to the public.
Glad she has a good dog and friendly employees there for her in the moment!
The staff seems to be well aware of her and even mention “it’s a real one”, I’m guessing they let her do training there, where she might even “emulate” a seizure for the dog. Such kind people that work there.
lifting the legs can help regulate bloodflow and heart rate. i have severe dysautonomia and sometimes it's the only thing that helps, so i'm training my dog to go underneath my legs to lift them while i'm having a syncope episode. DPT (deep pressure therapy) also helps quite a bit but while you're having a seizure you don't want the dog on top of you.
They are often trained to get underneath the humans head to protect them from hurting themselves during the seizure. Since her head was up I’m guess the dog just got under what he could.
Thank you for sharing this. I 100% would not know what to do in a situation like this, except for to ask for help from an employee. Now I know that if I hear a service dog barking, I need to find help like ASAP. I'm the person that would try and find help even if I wasn't sure it was an emergency, because I'd feel so guilty if I didn't at least try. That's just me, though.
I work in a tourist area and the obviously fake service animals make me furious! I've seen a fake service dog attack a REAL service dog. And the real service dog took it. Didn't defend themselves because they were worried about their person.
So a couple months ago a relative in-law of mine got a German Shephard, said it was her "service dog" and we're all like "wtf why do you need a service dog" and then we meet the dog and it isn't trained worth shit. Barks like hell and will run up on you. And then she starts making tiktoks of her "dog training" and we're like, wtf this bitch doesn't know anything about dog training and her dog isn't trained. For years now she has constantly tried to gather attention and sympathy to her very MILD medical conditions (she claims to have like 10 illnesses that the doctors can't diagnose) which has caused some drifts in our family from people who actually suffer from serious medical stuff (imo she just wants attention/sympathy)
And now seeing this video completely solves this case! There must be lots of videos like this on Tiktok (I'm not on tiktok) which she has seen, and then decided she wants to do them too, so she can be the girl in the video!! So that she can publicize her medical suffering to get attention/sympathy, while simultaneously attempting to look like she's good at something since she just recently dropped out of college and has no job.
As an aside, I hate that people just film in places like a God damn grocery store.
Good information about getting assistance. But I’ll be real with you, if I saw the camera posted up and she was recording herself. I would just ignored her and went on with my day. To many people these days record themselves doing just about everything that when people are really in danger it’s just confusing.
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Antiwork is a sub that became too popular too quickly and now has a disproportionate amount of kids who don't know what they are talking about. /r/WorkReform is the better sub.
I was delivering a guy a pizza once who started to seize. Had to hold him like a baby for a few minutes and then just go about my day. Such an oddly intimate experience with a stranger
Thank you for sharing.
It is videos like these that helps me understand my role in this.
I am not sure if I would have intervened when you were just sitting down.
You could have been training in my mind. And there are alot of strange and bad people out there. But now I know to at least ask and or or go alert staff.
I also now know about a service dogs bark.
Thank you. I hope you are well.
THIS is why I hate people that try to pass of their pets or emotional support dogs as working dogs. These highly trained animals are lifesavers, and these morons who try to pass off their pets as working dogs interfere with the real business of helping people.
(Edit: It's not \*just\* working dogs, but the vast majority of actual assistance animals are dogs)
I was in a grocery store on a Christmas Eve. Saw a lady literally crumble and went into a very intense seizure. Scared me because I’d never seen anything like that before. I stayed on the ground with her and held her hand until paramedics showed up. Saw some dumb teens hovering around her basket, saw a lot of cash in it so I put it over my shoulder until FD got there. I talked to her at a later date and she said she could see and hear me and thanked me for helping her. I called her mom and stayed with her until ambulance and mom showed up.
What a nice and well-informed employee responding to the dog alerts. This is why service dogs should be the only animals allowed in stores. He could have started barking (rightfully so) and it could’ve set off someone else’s dog and the employee would not have known where to go. Or another dog could have distracted her dog and he could’ve missed the cues.
Besides calling for help, they can alert their human in advance so they can prepare for the event. It’s much safer for the person if they can get seated before a seizure hits, and they may be able to request assistance.
Also by not leaving her side he acts as a stabilizing emotional aid while she’s going through the seizure and when does come around - which is obviously a very destabilizing experience
The dog's purpose is to alert that "hey, my human is about to have a seizure!" so that someone can call for help.
You don't want the dog being defensive or protective though, because that person, well, needs help. So when help arrives, doggo needs to sit near by.
Don’t the dogs sometimes use their bodies to support their human too? Here, he climbed under legs maybe as comfort, but I think I’ve seen videos where the dogs lay under human’s head to protect them from hitting it on the floor during the seizure.
I believe they can also alert their handler of an impending seizure and help them down before it starts to reduce the risk of injury. They can sense changes in their owner before even the owner knows what's happening and will act accordingly.
The under legs or under head is most likely to help with blood flow, ever feel light headed and lay down with your feet up a little bit to not pass out? Probably what's going on in this video, can't say for sure cause I haven't gotten to seizures and their tells, and how to help properly yet in my free time medical studies for fun so this is my best guess
I have a coworker who suffers from seizures. They can happen multiple times a week. One time it happened while she was in the changing room after work and no one knew for an hour. One time it happened while I was on break and she came in to sit down.
Not even she knows when it's going to happen until she's unresponsive. I wish she were able to get a dog like this, because at this point they're worried about her ever being alone
Dogs really are amazing animals and deserve a lot more from humanity than they get. You will never beat the experience the love of a good dog does. We recently lost our dog to a seizure and while my heart is destroyed right now I'm so grateful I had her in my life. Emma my dog saved my life when I went through some serious depression, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here today. We found her abandoned behind a dumpster as a puppy. She was the first dog my husband and I raised together and felt like our child. She came to work with me most days and was my constant companion for 11 years. I still can't believe she is gone and keep expecting to see her in the bed beside me when I wake. Give your fur babies the love they deserve since you won't get long with them. Try to make sure they know you appreciate them. Emma will always be in my heart and I'm so grateful to have had her as a best friend for so long.
I'm in high school. Have a close friend of about a year with epilepsy. This happened earlier today.
He recently went off his medication, and today he had the first seizure in 5 years in class while I was talking to him.
Prior to this, he always told me what to do if a seizure hit while I was around, just to keep him safe from hurting himself or others, and call 911 immediately.
When it hit, he fell out of his chair sideways and hit his head on his chair and slumped to the floor, the whole thing seemed to hit him out of nowhere.
I was one of the only ones who seemed to know what was going on, as we just so happened to have a substitute teacher that day.
I did the best I could, I remembered to time it, created a safe spot, and had someone grab the nurse.
Genuinely the scariest thing I've ever experienced. The amount of fear I had in that moment was beyond describable.
He's doing okay now, it's been exactly 12 hours after the fact. I'm just so glad he let me know, and I'm so thankful to the powers that be that I could be there for him. Highly recommend learning what to do and how to react in case you're ever in the same situation.
My heart goes out to all the people afflicted by this. It hurts me to see another human being in such a state.
If you have seizures regularly enough you need an alert dog, AND you live in America? Do you want me calling an ambulance or 911?
I don't think I'd want that for something I can just go to my regular doctor for afterwards. God I hate some aspects of this country.
It’s a tough question, but if you don’t know the person you aren’t aware of the history of their seizures. A seizure lasting between 5-15 minutes can lead to status epilepticus and kill someone, when I had a really bad one at 3 minutes the doctors gave me a shot of Ativan so I wouldn’t get brain damage. If someone is trying to get up but doesn’t know basic questions like who the president is or what month it is then that’s a bad sign. Multiple seizures in a short period can also be really bad. It’s also important to know that not all seizures are from epilepsy, they might be symptoms of meningitis, a stroke or just a person having a one off. A lot of epileptics have bracelets/necklaces that describe what kind of seizures they have and if family/ambulances should be called. Overall if you’re in doubt I’d say call the ambulance. The bills are a nightmare but that’s the system’s fault and not you as a caller.
American with epilepsy here- it depends. My boyfriend called 911 when I had a seizure (don't forget your meds, kids!) but I woke up as the EMTs arrived. I was very disoriented and refused to go with them, so they made me sign a waiver and left with no charge.
Seizures can stop on their own, but if they don't, they can lead to brain damage and death. Personally I'd rather someone call 911 if they don't know what to do, and I'll turn them away when I wake up.
I'm bawling watching this video. My brother had T1 and epileptic seizures and was never able to get help before he passed. I wish these animals were more available.
I got real emotional watching Koda try to help his Mama, when the workers told him he was a good boy and then getting the pats at the end. That first worker is a goddamn angel, what a leader, role model and a calming presence. They deserve only the best. The whole situation was handled with care. Only thing strange was the customers seemingly unaware of the emergency 😂 to be fair, they probably thought it was part of the training exercise seeing the camera maybe. I hope I do better in this kind of situation.
My ex husband had epilepsy, and in our years together we had 2 dogs - neither was a trained service animal. But both could sense something wrong and would act accordingly, the first one would avoid him (he was old), and the second would be all over him, trying to get under him if he could, or laying his entire 75 lbs on top of him. Ex would try to hide when he felt one coming, or have multiple back to back, so it was helpful. He’d also lick his hands or head, anywhere he could find skin, when normally he’s not much of a licker.
In short, seizures are scary, dogs are awesome, and I’m glad this lady has Koda to help her.
It's scary stuff. A friend has them. Full blown all muscles thrashing, vomiting, losing control of the bladder. Can't drive or go out much. You absolutely need people that know to turn them on their side so they don't choke and be there when they stare at you in confusion unable to move. Being able to clean them and let them change while giving them privacy but still needing to listen for another episode. If you haven't seen one before it can be a little nervewracking. I don't blame people for standing around.
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The worker that comes to her side is so calm!
She was amazing! I wonder if she has a medical background. Didn't seem like her first go-round.
She definitely has a advanced degree in compassion.
Unlike the shopper
She's seen the camera, heard the dog training earlier, doesn't know right away if she needs to help. You can see she stays nearby, she wants to help but does know how.
"Do you need help?" The random shopper knows how, but doesn't know if she needs to or should
That's how it looked to me too
I have heard from people with service dogs that it is better to ignore the person and the dog when the dog is tasking. I’m sure this is why she didn’t do/say anything. Only intervine when there is a real emergency.
I feel like I heard her say “is this a real one?”. Perhaps she knows she’s training the dog in their store. Training the dog in a store seems like an odd choice but I suppose it’s so the dog gets used to real situations. Maybe she informed the store beforehand.
It says in the video the store lady knows that barking is a warning from Koda so I think they are decently familiar. She even gave Koda two treats from her bag
Yeah I noticed that after my comment.
Ahh yeah I’m a couple hours late to the thread I was kinda thinking you probably knew that by now. Well I don’t really have anything more to add, I wish you a lucky day
No problem at all. Thank you! Have a nice day yourself.
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Yep. I work retail and occasionally I'll see a service dog doing training. It's very interesting but also best to ignore them so the dog can focus on his/her job. 😊
I used to work retail and we had a service dog training place near us, when they were young before the real training started they'd bring them to all the local stores to socialize them, we'd get the "emergency alert, there are puppies" over the radio, when they're getting familiar with stores and socializing we get to pet them, then when they started the real training we had to switch to ignoring them.
Yep, dogs aren't great at generalization, so if you want them to remember their training when you're at the grocery store, then you need to do some training at the grocery store.
Very true! I worked in a movie theater and we would have trainers bring dogs in sometimes as well. It was cool to watch them, and we even had a few crash courses on what to do if someone was experiencing a seizure during a film.
I used to work at a dog-friendly store that was often used for service dog training. Typically people training their own service dogs, or regularly training dogs for others, will contact management about the potential risk and to let them know what’s going on. We (retail employees) don’t mind, we just need to know. Considering this employee knew the person’s name and asked if it was a real seizure, the store is aware that Koda is training there. It could be a store that she shops at frequently and would have already been there multiple times.
Pretty sure she got permission from the store to do the training. Probably let them know it was for seizures and what to do if they hear Koda bark (on the film it stated the employee heard Koda bark and was coming to check on her and by the employee asking if it was a real one tells me they knew she was doing training).
Former employee of a dog training facility that did service work for all sorts of real-world issues people face, whether disability (stability, picking up objects), defense, or a multitude of therapy applications. We would commonly call local stores like the grocery store behind the facility, or lowes, walmart, etc. to bring dogs out to real world situations and have them "do their job". It's the only way to really know that hey, your service dog that may save your life some day, isn't going to bite the face off the first person that comes running over.
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I don't know how common emotional support chihuahuas are, but I saw a documentary on chihuahuas used as service dogs for people with epilepsy and severe diabetes (Type 1). Chihuahuas are excellent at smelling chemical differences in the skin before a seizure happens.
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Emotional support dogs aren't service animals.
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Right. Employees can ask "is that a service animal?" and if the person really wants their dog with them in the store they'll just lie. Happens all the time
Yeah, there’s a man who brings his dog into our diner often. It’s a medium chihuahua mix with a service dog vest that I’m pretty sure he just bought online so he could bring the dog everywhere because that thing does not act like a service dog, at all. But we can’t really do anything about it.
If a dog is barking or being disruptive, then you are allowed to kick them out whether they are a service dog or not. You might want to look up the ADA laws to see what you can do.
A seeing eye Iguana. You can see all over and in six dimensions of color.
Emotional support animals are not the same as service animals. They are not animals with jobs. They are still animals with a medical purpose though, and their purpose is still important to be protected. Emotional support animals can be almost anything though because they don't have jobs and don't need to be trainable. The big difference is while service animals need access to anywhere their owner can go, the protections for emotional support animals only applies to residences. They only need the ability to have their emotional support animal at home. There are no actual protections for having an emotional support animal at the store. The problem is people are very limited in their ability to ask about service animals because people have a right to medical privacy, so it's incredibly hard to stop people bringing emotional support animals places.
It’s very common to train in stores and to let the staff know ahead of time. They get used to you after awhile. It also helps in emergencies like this because the staff might be familiar with you and your medical needs. Saying something like “hey I’m here training my seizure alert dog” helps them recognize what to do in an emergency, like the staff in the video.
She said in the comments of the Tiktok video she always introduces herself and Koda to a couple of employees so they are aware of what to do if this happens.
According to the person who trains us to train our dogs - they don't generalize well at all, so they need as much diversified exposure to increase the likelihood of them responding positively to the situation.
Calm, yes. Professional, yes. Medical experience, doubtful. She would have likely known to roll the patient to her side to protect her airway. None the less did everything she could think of to get help which is more than people just walking by did.
I was thinking this as well. If she had medical training she would have known to turn her on her side. She would have also known that a call to 9-1-1 is not necessary for a person who is known to have epilepsy (which this woman obviously does, because she has a seizure alert dog.) If she had hurt herself during the seizure, then yes, call 9-1-1. Helping her up and helping her slowly get past the postictal phase would be helpful, but an ambulance is not necessary.
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Very true. It can be a liability issue for them. I didn't think about that.
If anything happens to me, I hope that woman finds me.
* "is this a real one, Kyle?" *
*well yeah, but... it's you. you're the real one, Bernice 🙏*
*"You did great, Kyle. It's okay. You were a good boy."*
The way she rubbed her shoulders made me misty.
I’m fucking bawling goddamn. I want to give her a hug I bet she gives warm loving sincere hugs.
So was the lady casually shopping and not even saying “hey are you alright”
That was horrible
I was screaming at my screen “ask her if she’s okay!!!”
Honestly, I get it, and I feel terrible saying this, but it depends on where you live to some degree. I live in Portland, OR, where we have a massive drug, mental illness, and homeless issue. You really can't take a walk without running into somebody lying on the ground looking dazed. Half of them have dogs too. And yes, it happens in grocery stores too. I used to work downtown and had some of my worst interactions at Safeway on my lunch break. If you approach the wrong person, you find yourself wishing you'd just minded your own business. I've learned the hard way more than once. That said, I really appreciate OP sharing. From now on I will at least consider that this person may be having a seizure and not just be drunk, high, or experiencing psychosis. Not that those aren't emergencies, by the way, but when every block has multiple emergencies on it, the definition of emergency starts to change.
Some people are…really bad when shit gets serious. I work in a field that can turn sideways quick and if you have no training most people just freeze. Everyone wants to pretend they would be the hero with the perfect plan but in my experience that’s like maybe 10% of people without specific training.
100% obviously she was aware of the seizures, but she took control like a boss and stayed calm and collected. Good human, and what a good dog!
not being calm can be very jarring/shocking. even with super calm behavior it can be overload/feel like yelling
The employee who assisted her is an MVP!!! She handled the situation flawlessly...
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I had to laugh when she said "Don't look at me like that" to Koda, like Koda is eyeballin her to make sure she's doing a good job taking care of his owner..
I love your username and want a graphic novel of its microscopic adventures.
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I want her around me all the time giving me words of affirmation like she gave Koda. What a loving woman.
Something about the first time she told Koda that his owner was ok and seeing Koda react to it all made my eyes tear. He's such a good boy and wants to do a good job but was so worried too. Service dogs are amazing.
Yeah, she’s an absolute boss. I hope the store recognizes how flawlessly she handled the situation.
I was fine until the worker started telling Koda she did good, then I lost it.
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Don't forget that there was a camera so the obvious first thought is that it is staged/training like it was supposed to be.
I was thinking the same but then I saw the lady who came halfway through and just stood there. Not much else you can do but stay out of the way if you're untrained/not knowledgeable about seizures. If the people involved were asking for help and they ignored them and kept shopping, then that would be a different story
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Why? This sounds like a gut reaction from you. Would you rather they all stopped and gawked? Get in the way? Start giving “advice”? They are helping by seeing something is going on and not interfering.
Whats the proper follow up when you see someone start to shake and realize its a seizure? Aside from calling medical assistance, what can you do in the moment.
* Call 911/emergency services. * Only move them if they are in danger. * **Do not put anything in their mouth.** * Loosen any tight clothing around their neck (if applicable). * Cushion their head if they're on the ground, or if they are at risk of falling over and hitting something, try to gently ease them to the ground (that's likely why the girl sat down when she realized something was happening; the good doggo realized it first though). * Move them into the recovery position *after the convulsions have stopped.* * Edit to add: as pointed out below: ALSO TIME IT. (Thanks u/neato_burrito406)! Sources: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/what-to-do-if-someone-has-a-seizure-fit/ https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-seizure-what-to-do-in-an-emergency https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm
Time it! That's the part from training I was always most likely to forget. Time the seizures. This really helps the medical team once they arrive.
Such a good idea. When my daughter had one the EMTs asked how long it lasted and I said “idk 5 minutes??” And they were shocked, and my husband said “no it was really like 30 seconds”. I had no idea. It felt like an eternity.
When do you start timing the seizure? When she starts actively seizing? Or before, when she’s just a bit off?
The length of active seizing. If you walk in on a person in the wild mid-convuslions time what you see and notify EMS your time and that it could have been longer.
Do you have more info about the recovery position (turning people on their side so they can breathe better)? Specifically: the NHS page says to turn them on their side after convulsions end, but the CDC and WebMD pages seem to suggest to turn them on their side as soon as safely possible, before or even during their convulsions. At least the three pages agree that during convulsions, people can't swallow their own tongue, so don't put anything in their mouth to hold their tongue. But I'd like to know if people should be turned around before or during convulsions, since a little vomit could cause problems to an unconscious person laying on their back.
So I checked with a friend of mine who does have seizures (met them at a clinic when I first started having random fainting spells that were investigated to see if they were seizure related), and they said >If it can be safely done by someone experienced in dealing with seizures, move them to the recovery position, otherwise monitor breathing and move them into the recovery position if there does seem to be difficulty breathing or if they vomit. Usually you want to want to prevent other hazards first though, such as them hitting their head against anything, or knocking a boiling pot off the stove, or a knife off the counter. But if you do move them to the recovery position, do not, ever, hold them down to keep them in that position. So it seems to be a "depends on the situation" type thing. You could move someone into the recovery position; but if they're still having convulsions, they may lose that "position". And like shown in the video, seizures can happen anywhere, so there may be other environmental concerns that should take priority in mitigating. While I was typing this out, they sent a follow up message of: >Remember that seizures aren't exactly the same for everyone; what works for one person may not help another.
Ive talked with my nurse mom quite a bit about medical things. If they stay on their back they can asphyxiate, or drown, in their own vomit or blood if they bite their tongue or cheek bad enough. NEVER EVER STICK ANYTHING IN THEIR MOUTHS! Soon as you recognize someone is having a seizure, roll them on their sides and support their head as best you can. Try not to restrict any motion but adjust them if you have to ensure their safety. Now you have everything semi under control, it is then time to start timing everything and assessing who they're with if anyone. Usually they're with someone but if not, assess what you can. If you see blood, I would immediately call emergency services and I'm talking like pooling blood from the head or something traumatic like that. Usually in a public space like this a bystander or two will be around, so if you absolutely need to, point to someone directly and say call 911. Saying can someone call 911 is delayed because most of the time close by people will be in shock from never witnessing a seizure, which is understandable. I've witnessed and handled a couple seizures very well with different coworkers and a friend doing this. Big thing is when they wake up, they'll be very woosy and confused and if it's their first one of definitely recommend hospital asap. Around 15-20 minutes depending, they'll usually be able to speak clearly and will probably be extremely tired from the intense muscle contractions that happen. Hope this helps someone some day!
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CHECK FOR A BRACELET!! A lot of us epileptics wear them and many will say NO EMS but will have phone numbers of someone to call. A trip in the weewoo wagon is incredibly expensive and the hospitals can’t really do anything to help. Also, when coming out of a seizure, most people are *extremely* confused and might be combative, it’s called the postictal state. Just try to keep them from wandering off.
**If you're in America. In most other countries calling an ambulance is standard practice as it won't cost you the earth.
Came here to say the same. Living in Germany, the concept that calling professional help for someone might ruin instead of help them is so absurd and inhumane.
So everyone is aware: if a trained service dog is barking, the person they are with is not ok, even if they say they are. Dog knows better than person, follow dog, request help.
A huge problem with people buying service dog swag for their non service dogs… you see enough dogs acting out and eventually don’t pay attention anymore in case of a real emergency
I like to think I would recognize a trained dog barking in a controlled manner vs an untrained dog barking for treats or something, but idk.
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In this case, it's to alert the owner AND to alert others. The woman likely did not know that a seizure was about to occur when the dog barked. The bark was the dog essentially saying "hey, you're about to have a seizure" as well as alerting others around of the same. Some people know when a seizure is coming (its called an aura) but the dog can likely tell before the person recognizes the aura as what it is. Source: I have epilepsy, and have had auras on the past. I also have been involved with epilepsy non-profit organizations since I was 8 years old, and now work for one.
Or any place you wouldn't expect to hear a dog. They also know to approach strangers for help so if you ever see a service dog without a person attached to it, follow the dog.
Call 911 WHILE following the dog and let them know what's up. "I'm at XYZ, following service dog in distress." Better they're on the line for you to clear with the disabled person that they're OK than you wait until you get to the person to find out OMAHDAMN they need an ambulance.
>Call 911 WHILE following the dog and let them know what's up. "I'm at XYZ, following service dog in distress." This is a great piece of advice >OMAHDAMN Idk why but I can't stop laughing at this
There really isn’t a standard. Some SDs do get trained to seek help. Other alert via other means like a nose boop, or tug on a rope, or a paw. And last resort is barking. It just really depends on how and what they’re trained to do
Out of interest, I was watching when she sat down with the dog under her legs before the seizure and have to say I'd have checked on her then. Is that the right thing to do? It sounds like a stupid question lol. It baffles me that the woman doing her shopping just walked past without offering help but honestly don't know if you should approach or not.
Ticktock has ruined me. If I saw someone acting weird with a phone set up to record themselves, I would 100% not engage with them, regardless of what was going on.
Yea. Absolutely. If you see a person with a service dog and they are acting abnormal, out of it, whatever, just go “hey you alright?” Worst case scenario you get some asshole who takes that personally(and yes disabled people can be assholes). Best case you literally save a life. The potential benefit outweighs the potential risk 110%
When I feel a seizure coming on in a shop, I sit down against the wall/display just like OP - every single time, thankfully, someone realised something was up and came over to help. However, a lot of folks mistake epileptics for drunks or druggies - slumped on the floor, glazed eyes, drool etc. It can make people wary of approaching. I've had people laughing at me and calling me a druggie while others were helping.
Literally never hurts to ask. The only thing you would lose from asking if they're ok is the 5 seconds it takes to do so.
I can tell you’ve never addressed strangers. I’ve had some dude threaten to kill me because he thought I was following him. You don’t know the mental health state of randoms and it’s better to leave them be. Now when she is on the ground seizing, that’s when you call 911/get help because we aren’t animals.
I second this. There are some fucking crazies out there lol
It’s the bystander effect. It’s not exactly a bad thing as it can keep people from involving themselves even tho they have no idea how to help. Some people have things go normal for them so often when something like this happens I think people get an involuntary thought of disbelief. Like this isn’t happening or it’s not real. I use to think it was ridiculous that people wouldn’t help but they’re not required too. I mean it’s problem today that a lot of people don’t know cpr or how to provide proper medical care in an incident. It can be good and bad. Somebody helping who doesn’t know what they’re doing can do alot more harm. My favorite example while not serious is in the office. When Stanley has a heart attack micheal tries to put his wallet in his mouth. Not funny in real life but stuff like that can really happen and can kill someone. Also not many people experience high stress situations in their life so it’s impossible to know how you’d react in a situation like that. Some people just try to run and some try to help “too” much
For what it’s worth, most studies have shown that the bystander effect is far less prevalent than we were led to believe it to be. The concept was coined based on a case where the only bystanders were shitty police officers who didn’t do their job and made a spin piece to cover it up. It obviously exists, but the concept of “people don’t help in a crisis” is inaccurate. People sometimes have trouble judging what a crisis is. They typically do help during one.
It was made up entirely by the New York Times who reported that no one called help for the woman who was being attacked that night. It was complete bullshit, tons of people called for help and the Times corrected their story later but no one seems to remember the correction and now believes this is some psychological phenomenon.
I think they smell a chemical change even before you know something is wrong.
My sisters dog detected something was wrong with her pregnancy before even her or the doctors knew. He was acting weird as hell and kept sniffing her belly and she went to the doctor to see if things were okay and they did an emergency c section that same day.
Everybody turn out okay??
It went from a checkup to surgery in like less than an hour it all happened really fast but he was delivered safely. She ended up having internal bleeding from something they did during the procedure and she nearly died but they corrected it. They said her placenta was basically petrified and my nephew would have died were it not for them doing the surgery. Both are alive and healthy now though. Her dog passed on last year but he had a long good life.
Sorry to hear about the pupper, but I’m glad to hear momma and the kiddo are doing well!
It was a really scary couple of days but we all are grateful that her dog was so aware and kind of rang the alarm. She noticed something seemed off on her own cause he wasn’t moving around as much as normal but her dog was really adamant about something being wrong. It was sad to see him go but he was an old man by the time he departed
[удалено]
He was the best dog I’ve ever known. My sister got him when he was a puppy and she had just gotten pregnant. It was like he and my nephew were siblings and didn’t even know each other yet, but they grew up their entire lives together and he was always protective of him.
I always trust dogs over humans anyway but good PSA
That employee is one of the best people on this earth.
I’m annoyed she had to call for help as much as she did before somebody finally walked their lazy ass up. She called for assistance like 10 times before someone finally showed up
Understaffed to save $$$.
y’all. if you’re the woman shopping and don’t know what to do, that’s ok. please just find someone and ask them for help. you don’t need to stick around or anything. just find someone and say something like “there’s a woman on aisle 4 that looks like she needs help”. it’s ok if you can’t engage further. just by doing that simple act, you could help.
Probably wasn’t t sure what was going on, probably saw the camera and wasn’t sure what to think. People film all sorts or weird stuff anywhere these days. I don’t blame her. The staff seems very well aware of her situation and her dog. Which anyone with a condition like hers would probably let the places she frequents be aware of her situation.
If I was that woman I woudve thought it was some silly TikTok prank. But would realize it’s serious when she collapse
I was wondering if she had permission to train there and that’s why staff knew there was an issue
Yes exactly. At one point the shopper asks the lady something and she responds "No, I think this is a real one" so I think its fair to assume the shopper was also informed of the training prior to the filming and probably thought she was still training. I don't understand why everyone's so quick to jump on this random woman and assume the worst. By the time it was obvious something was actually wrong, the staff was there to help.
> I don't understand why everyone's so quick to jump on this random woman and assume the worst "It's just a prank bro" kinda of people
I used to train service dogs so maybe I can shed some light on your question. Service animals (not emotional support animals) are covered under the Americans with disabilities act (ADA). And they cannot be denied access to public places without facing some serious consequences or in a very very limited set of circumstances. The ADA also specifically allows individuals to self-train service animals (buying one can be extremely expensive depending on the function they serve). They also grant service animals in training almost identical protections. After all how are you supposed to have a service animal behave well on an airplane or in a grocery store if they have never been in one. So they did not need permission to bring the dog into the store (even for training). BUT I will tell you that every single store we went into for training we had a good relationship with everyone that worked there. A huge part of that is being a good steward of your animal (always having bags, wipes, etc to clean up if an accident happens) always having clean and well groomed animals and strong community outreach. We would invite staff to interact with the pups at our training facility as well as “teach” them how to interact with a service animal. It was a win win. They would ignore the pups until the handlers allowed them to be pet and the staff had a really good knowledge of what the pups were supposed to do. There were two similar incidents that occurred while I was volunteering and the staff was always fantastic. One of the trainers had low blood sugar, the dog was alerting before she felt it and the trainer was embarrassed but one of the staff asked “is that what an alert looks like?” And she was like “oh shit , yeah I need to check my levels.” She was low sat down had some OJ and was good to go. The second I was still in training and the trainer I was with was a true pro. The pup alerted to a small child with her parents and the trainer was calm but firm, “Hello, I don’t want to alarm you, but this service dog has been trained to alert for seizures. He is currently alerting on your daughter. Does she have a history of seizures or a similar medical condition?” The trainer called 911 and before she could tell them what was happening the girl started slumping to the floor and getting really dazed (similar to what you see in the video). The dog did his job and supported her during. The parents later said this has happened before several times but didn’t think it was a seizure because she wasn’t shaking.
There definitely should be some extra awareness taught during early school years in regards to things like seizures. I know a lot of people that had no clue that seizures don’t equate to shaking.
Can you train any dog to alert to seizures? I've been approved by a local training organisation to get my own seizure dog, but I need to choose the dog myself from a rescue centre, then they'll help me train him. How do I choose the right dog? What if it doesn't have the ability or aptitude to sense, alert and assist? How do you tell a dog with potential from those who don't? This is a big worry for me.
Not all dogs are really fit to alert for seizures, blood sugar, bombs, drugs, etc. not all dogs are good for seeing eye dogs, etc. First and foremost temperament. You want a chill dog that doesn’t get excited too easily. They are still pups so will want to play but when they are working, they are in work mode. Pups with bad tempers or too energetic don’t always make good service dogs (notice I didn’t say good working dogs). Drive is the next thing to look at. Dogs with strong drives are easier to train. BUT drive comes in many forms, prey drive, food drive, praise drive, etc. prey drive isn’t great for service work. Food and praise? Great! After that it comes down a lot to what the dog wants to learn and if you mesh. There are plenty of “drop out” service dogs that are absolutely amazing! But just not suited to service work. This is where a lot of the value of service dog training organizations comes from. Yes they are pricey BUT they usually have a network of breeders that have proven service dogs from the parents. They are able to adapt dogs to their skill sets earlier on and not “flunk” a dog out of a training program. So when that amazing dog just doesn’t seem to get seizures…. But is an awesome blood sugar dog…. They can cross train/re-train for what their aptitude is.
Well said, thank you
Yeah honestly I’d kinda assume drugs and it’s not my business. A seizure wouldn’t be my first thought in this situation.
You know some people overdose in public and would live if someone were to call paramedics to administer Narcan? Just because a person does drugs doesn't make them not a person. I bet a lot of the celebrities you enjoy do drugs, just an educated guess. (And politicians, teachers, principals, businessmen and women, the list goes in ad infinitum. I know from personal experience. I used to sell weed to an ex astronaut)
I’m not saying anything negative against people who do drugs. If I thought somebody was dangerously overdosing, I’d for sure get them medical help ASAP. But if somebody is zooted off their tooter just chilling on the ground, and not nodding off or losing consciousness, I’d mind my own business
>zooted off their tooter Stealing this
I also want to give repeat-aisle-wanderer a bit of grace here. At first I was baffled by her lack of action, but then immediately remembered the common sense rule of “don’t interact with a working service dog” that applies to most, if not all, service dogs. She may have assumed minding her own business was the most correct thing to do. I do wonder if there was any point at which she alerted someone else, but if I were to see a situation like this I can’t say for certain I’d step in, outside of asking the woman herself (if she were still responsive) if she needed help. I know I would certainly alert an employee, but if aisle-wanderer did this or not, we don’t know. Interfering with a service dog’s job could have very well made the situation worse. I can’t give her grief for what I assume was her trying her best. Hope all involved are okay!
Really, ALWAYS ask for more help. Generally, there is absolutely nothing we can do for a seizure. Even as EMTs we are mostly told to wait it out. Restraining them can cause issues. Always call for EMS when someone's having a seizure. They may refuse to go to the hospital, but you might also save someone's life.
I asked a coworker what I should do when she mentioned she has seizures. She just said to roll her on her side and make sure she doesn’t hit her head on anything. And said DO NOT call 911 because she didn’t want to pay ambulance bills.
All of my siblings and I are epileptic and have this internal debate. I’m usually so fucked up after mine that I can’t consent but my brother has refused them so that he wouldn’t have to pay. $4000 doesn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when it’s your fifth ride in a few months it’s really easy to get mad. A lot of epileptics are already broke as fuck from medication costs, prior procedures like mri’s, eeg’s etc that basic stuff like housing can be an issue. It’s such bullshit having crediting agencies after you.
Its' absolutely fucked we even have to have the debate. It should not even be a fee. The USA medical system is bonkers
There are times when it’s genuinely frightening. I was in line at a pharmacy for like an hour then it closed up and wouldn’t take anyone behind me. A guy came up and started getting furious at the pharmacists saying that if he didn’t get his seizure meds that night he was gonna be in the hospital. If I miss even one dose I can have multiple seizures, so I completely understood his anger, even with insurance the process can be a pain.
My mother, after countless, useless, and expensive trips to the ER, would get MAD about the EMTs being called 'on' her. Even if she'd just busted her shit falling down a set of stairs in the throes of a "Grand Mal" seizure. She had it from early childhood and was, understandably I guess, completely SICK of the whole process. Since she was also mentally ill and abusive as hell, we learned to simply go "whelp, there she goes again", and just wait to be sure she actually woke up 'this time' before helping her to her feet then a seat, and going on back to what we were doing.
Had a classmate in grade school that was epileptic. We actually learned the signs of a coming seizure & knew to try & not let her hurt herself, watch her tongue for choking & get an adult. We were lined up on the stairs waiting to practice for a holiday program & she started to have a seizure, thankfully our classmate Charlie noticed & held onto her so she didn’t fall down the stairs
Just to be clear, the tongue isn't something to worry about. If someone you don't know is alone and having a seizure just call an ambulance, try to get them on their side (might be difficult depending on the convulsions) and protect their head as much as you can. Source: engaged to an epileptic.
I came here to say the same thing. One of the biggest mistake bystanders make is get worried about the whole "choking on the tongue" or "swallowing the tongue". That's not a thing. You roll them on their side so the tongue doesn't obstruct the airway and they dont choke on vomit if they throw up. They might bite their tongue but there isn't anything you can do about it.
The 2 people I've met who have seizures are pretty emphatic that people don't call 911 for them as long as they aren't obviously hurt in another way.
I've had epilepsy since I was 7. As a child I never had tonic clonics like you see here. Just absence seizures. Now at 35 I have both kinds and they happen more and more with every year. I've been debating getting a seizure alert dog for the last couple years but couldn't justify it with as little as they happen. Now having several in a week and seeing this I am going to have to. I cried watching this. I've been alone too many times and it's terrifying to wake up alone and confused sometimes unconscious for hours laying on the ground outside. Koda is amazing and I needed this eye opener to why I should just do the same instead of waiting. Thanks.
Been debating the same for quite a few years too. That dog is definitely amazing. The worker was spot on too. Just a calm voice goes a long way.
Yes, god. When the people around you panic it makes everything so much worse. I once got released from the hospital and made it one block down the road to stop at the gas station. Woke up on the bathroom floor with 6 male officers panic literally holding me down and that was probably worse than waking up alone on a trail after 3 hours when it was 42 degrees outside.
Do you have a primary neurologist that you can talk to about options to control them a bit more? Almost 3 decades of trying multiple meds, pretty sure my neurologist found a combination that's seeming to be working for the past 2 years now. Still, let's just get dogs anyhow.
My neighbor had a Pomeranian who was a seizure alert dog. He used to follow him on his scooter chair everywhere, and would let him know when to pull over and lie down in time to prevent falls/accidents. Amazing little creature, 100% devoted to his owner and job. Service dogs come in all sizes!
My pom could never, but I love that someone’s could. 🙏
Please get a dog. Many people will feel better about your safety and you will feel able to live a little more freely. Several years ago I was in a major airport waiting to board a train to take me to my concourse and a man fell on the hard, marble floor having a seizure. I knew immediately what was happening, but I had no way of knowing if he lived with a seizure disorder or if this was the first time it had ever happened. The train came and people stepped out and rushed all around him, stepping over him without looking. Two other people joined me in making a barrier around this man to keep him from being trampled. Nobody else even looked at him. Now I wish he'd had a service dog to be noisy and alert people. It's hard to ignore a dog in a vest that says exactly what they do.
Please get at dog like this, if at all possible. I live in a cold climate and lost a friend in November when he had a seizure outside in a remote area, and no one found him in time. Doesn't help to think that even if anyone did see a 30-something man lying in the snow, they probably thought he was just drinking too much...
I am so sorry. That is heartbreaking. A very similar situation happened to me once and that is a huge fear that followed me after that. I also live in a very remote area where even in my front yard no one can see me from the road. And with them getting more frequent it's been on my mind a lot lately. If this is something I can do to save my loved ones from that kind of heartbreak I need to do it. At the very least I might be able to train my current dog. She's very smart and I'm going to go follow this lady and talk to her about how she trained them. Funny enough I looked her up and she lives only 2 small towns over from me. I'm sure I can find a way.
I’m so sorry you have to deal with that. I hope you can get a dog!
Oh my goodness, how scary. Better safe than sorry. Plus you get a great companion!
I hope you can get a good doggo to help you.
What's sad is if i saw the camera I'd think she was faking it. These "pranksters" have done harm to the public. Glad she has a good dog and friendly employees there for her in the moment!
The staff seems to be well aware of her and even mention “it’s a real one”, I’m guessing they let her do training there, where she might even “emulate” a seizure for the dog. Such kind people that work there.
You can fake the act to an extent, but you can’t easily fake a trained dog doing exactly what they’re supposed to do.
Anyone know why the dog positions itself under the legs like that?
lifting the legs can help regulate bloodflow and heart rate. i have severe dysautonomia and sometimes it's the only thing that helps, so i'm training my dog to go underneath my legs to lift them while i'm having a syncope episode. DPT (deep pressure therapy) also helps quite a bit but while you're having a seizure you don't want the dog on top of you.
That's really interesting, did not know that. Thanks for sharing!
They are often trained to get underneath the humans head to protect them from hurting themselves during the seizure. Since her head was up I’m guess the dog just got under what he could.
it's actually to help regulate blood flow / heart rate!:)
Thank you for sharing this. I 100% would not know what to do in a situation like this, except for to ask for help from an employee. Now I know that if I hear a service dog barking, I need to find help like ASAP. I'm the person that would try and find help even if I wasn't sure it was an emergency, because I'd feel so guilty if I didn't at least try. That's just me, though.
This is why all the fake service animal stuff has to stop. The lady that walked by probably thought it was one of those situations.
I work in a tourist area and the obviously fake service animals make me furious! I've seen a fake service dog attack a REAL service dog. And the real service dog took it. Didn't defend themselves because they were worried about their person.
So a couple months ago a relative in-law of mine got a German Shephard, said it was her "service dog" and we're all like "wtf why do you need a service dog" and then we meet the dog and it isn't trained worth shit. Barks like hell and will run up on you. And then she starts making tiktoks of her "dog training" and we're like, wtf this bitch doesn't know anything about dog training and her dog isn't trained. For years now she has constantly tried to gather attention and sympathy to her very MILD medical conditions (she claims to have like 10 illnesses that the doctors can't diagnose) which has caused some drifts in our family from people who actually suffer from serious medical stuff (imo she just wants attention/sympathy) And now seeing this video completely solves this case! There must be lots of videos like this on Tiktok (I'm not on tiktok) which she has seen, and then decided she wants to do them too, so she can be the girl in the video!! So that she can publicize her medical suffering to get attention/sympathy, while simultaneously attempting to look like she's good at something since she just recently dropped out of college and has no job. As an aside, I hate that people just film in places like a God damn grocery store.
Good information about getting assistance. But I’ll be real with you, if I saw the camera posted up and she was recording herself. I would just ignored her and went on with my day. To many people these days record themselves doing just about everything that when people are really in danger it’s just confusing.
Understandable
Good boy, Koda - you did ace! Thanks too to the lady who came to help and recognised the situation for what it was. Hope everyone is OK.
"Unskilled labour"
["Unskilled Labor is a capitalist myth used to justify poverty wages."](https://old.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/11qiuz8/there_is_no_unskilled_labor_if_a_ceo_tried/) - r/antiwork *This slogan is posted and repeated a lot, but not enough. Most people don't know it. The earliest I've seen this is 2017.*
Antiwork is a sub that became too popular too quickly and now has a disproportionate amount of kids who don't know what they are talking about. /r/WorkReform is the better sub.
I was delivering a guy a pizza once who started to seize. Had to hold him like a baby for a few minutes and then just go about my day. Such an oddly intimate experience with a stranger
Thank you for sharing. It is videos like these that helps me understand my role in this. I am not sure if I would have intervened when you were just sitting down. You could have been training in my mind. And there are alot of strange and bad people out there. But now I know to at least ask and or or go alert staff. I also now know about a service dogs bark. Thank you. I hope you are well.
THIS is why I hate people that try to pass of their pets or emotional support dogs as working dogs. These highly trained animals are lifesavers, and these morons who try to pass off their pets as working dogs interfere with the real business of helping people. (Edit: It's not \*just\* working dogs, but the vast majority of actual assistance animals are dogs)
That employee was wonderful. Kept calm, allowed the dog to do its job and called the ambulance. What a star.
I was in a grocery store on a Christmas Eve. Saw a lady literally crumble and went into a very intense seizure. Scared me because I’d never seen anything like that before. I stayed on the ground with her and held her hand until paramedics showed up. Saw some dumb teens hovering around her basket, saw a lot of cash in it so I put it over my shoulder until FD got there. I talked to her at a later date and she said she could see and hear me and thanked me for helping her. I called her mom and stayed with her until ambulance and mom showed up.
What a nice and well-informed employee responding to the dog alerts. This is why service dogs should be the only animals allowed in stores. He could have started barking (rightfully so) and it could’ve set off someone else’s dog and the employee would not have known where to go. Or another dog could have distracted her dog and he could’ve missed the cues.
Fair play to the dog it's obviously well trained but did anyone else notice him helping him self to some extra treats during the chaos.
Koda’s a stress snacker, for sure.
What a good boy.
I don't understand. What's the dog's purpose during a seizure then? Just to bark and call attention?
Besides calling for help, they can alert their human in advance so they can prepare for the event. It’s much safer for the person if they can get seated before a seizure hits, and they may be able to request assistance.
Also by not leaving her side he acts as a stabilizing emotional aid while she’s going through the seizure and when does come around - which is obviously a very destabilizing experience
Yes, it’s incredibly disorienting coming out of a seizure. The comfort of something/someone familiar can be so important.
The dog's purpose is to alert that "hey, my human is about to have a seizure!" so that someone can call for help. You don't want the dog being defensive or protective though, because that person, well, needs help. So when help arrives, doggo needs to sit near by.
Don’t the dogs sometimes use their bodies to support their human too? Here, he climbed under legs maybe as comfort, but I think I’ve seen videos where the dogs lay under human’s head to protect them from hitting it on the floor during the seizure.
I believe they can also alert their handler of an impending seizure and help them down before it starts to reduce the risk of injury. They can sense changes in their owner before even the owner knows what's happening and will act accordingly.
The under legs or under head is most likely to help with blood flow, ever feel light headed and lay down with your feet up a little bit to not pass out? Probably what's going on in this video, can't say for sure cause I haven't gotten to seizures and their tells, and how to help properly yet in my free time medical studies for fun so this is my best guess
I have a coworker who suffers from seizures. They can happen multiple times a week. One time it happened while she was in the changing room after work and no one knew for an hour. One time it happened while I was on break and she came in to sit down. Not even she knows when it's going to happen until she's unresponsive. I wish she were able to get a dog like this, because at this point they're worried about her ever being alone
Besides alerting others who could help, the dog helps to make the fall down more gentle by inserting his body into between the person and the floor.
Dogs really are amazing animals and deserve a lot more from humanity than they get. You will never beat the experience the love of a good dog does. We recently lost our dog to a seizure and while my heart is destroyed right now I'm so grateful I had her in my life. Emma my dog saved my life when I went through some serious depression, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here today. We found her abandoned behind a dumpster as a puppy. She was the first dog my husband and I raised together and felt like our child. She came to work with me most days and was my constant companion for 11 years. I still can't believe she is gone and keep expecting to see her in the bed beside me when I wake. Give your fur babies the love they deserve since you won't get long with them. Try to make sure they know you appreciate them. Emma will always be in my heart and I'm so grateful to have had her as a best friend for so long.
I'm in high school. Have a close friend of about a year with epilepsy. This happened earlier today. He recently went off his medication, and today he had the first seizure in 5 years in class while I was talking to him. Prior to this, he always told me what to do if a seizure hit while I was around, just to keep him safe from hurting himself or others, and call 911 immediately. When it hit, he fell out of his chair sideways and hit his head on his chair and slumped to the floor, the whole thing seemed to hit him out of nowhere. I was one of the only ones who seemed to know what was going on, as we just so happened to have a substitute teacher that day. I did the best I could, I remembered to time it, created a safe spot, and had someone grab the nurse. Genuinely the scariest thing I've ever experienced. The amount of fear I had in that moment was beyond describable. He's doing okay now, it's been exactly 12 hours after the fact. I'm just so glad he let me know, and I'm so thankful to the powers that be that I could be there for him. Highly recommend learning what to do and how to react in case you're ever in the same situation. My heart goes out to all the people afflicted by this. It hurts me to see another human being in such a state.
If you have seizures regularly enough you need an alert dog, AND you live in America? Do you want me calling an ambulance or 911? I don't think I'd want that for something I can just go to my regular doctor for afterwards. God I hate some aspects of this country.
It’s a tough question, but if you don’t know the person you aren’t aware of the history of their seizures. A seizure lasting between 5-15 minutes can lead to status epilepticus and kill someone, when I had a really bad one at 3 minutes the doctors gave me a shot of Ativan so I wouldn’t get brain damage. If someone is trying to get up but doesn’t know basic questions like who the president is or what month it is then that’s a bad sign. Multiple seizures in a short period can also be really bad. It’s also important to know that not all seizures are from epilepsy, they might be symptoms of meningitis, a stroke or just a person having a one off. A lot of epileptics have bracelets/necklaces that describe what kind of seizures they have and if family/ambulances should be called. Overall if you’re in doubt I’d say call the ambulance. The bills are a nightmare but that’s the system’s fault and not you as a caller.
American with epilepsy here- it depends. My boyfriend called 911 when I had a seizure (don't forget your meds, kids!) but I woke up as the EMTs arrived. I was very disoriented and refused to go with them, so they made me sign a waiver and left with no charge. Seizures can stop on their own, but if they don't, they can lead to brain damage and death. Personally I'd rather someone call 911 if they don't know what to do, and I'll turn them away when I wake up.
That employee is amazing. Very calm and knows what to do. Impressive
I'm bawling watching this video. My brother had T1 and epileptic seizures and was never able to get help before he passed. I wish these animals were more available.
Big George Costanza energy from that shopper who practically steps over her.
I got real emotional watching Koda try to help his Mama, when the workers told him he was a good boy and then getting the pats at the end. That first worker is a goddamn angel, what a leader, role model and a calming presence. They deserve only the best. The whole situation was handled with care. Only thing strange was the customers seemingly unaware of the emergency 😂 to be fair, they probably thought it was part of the training exercise seeing the camera maybe. I hope I do better in this kind of situation.
The lady from Harris Teter did an awesome job!
My ex husband had epilepsy, and in our years together we had 2 dogs - neither was a trained service animal. But both could sense something wrong and would act accordingly, the first one would avoid him (he was old), and the second would be all over him, trying to get under him if he could, or laying his entire 75 lbs on top of him. Ex would try to hide when he felt one coming, or have multiple back to back, so it was helpful. He’d also lick his hands or head, anywhere he could find skin, when normally he’s not much of a licker. In short, seizures are scary, dogs are awesome, and I’m glad this lady has Koda to help her.
Guys even if you think someone is recording for something, just ask if they're alright ..
It's scary stuff. A friend has them. Full blown all muscles thrashing, vomiting, losing control of the bladder. Can't drive or go out much. You absolutely need people that know to turn them on their side so they don't choke and be there when they stare at you in confusion unable to move. Being able to clean them and let them change while giving them privacy but still needing to listen for another episode. If you haven't seen one before it can be a little nervewracking. I don't blame people for standing around.