Therapy Dog Saves Suicidal Woman

Meet Digby. He’s a trauma dog with the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. His role is to help firefighters deal with trauma during their therapy sessions.

He recently played a major part in saving a woman in the UK who was about to leap off the bridge above a highway. Though this did not fit his typical job description, he was brought to the scene of the incident. This took place on Tuesday, on a bridge near Exeter, southwestern England.

The 3-year-old labradoodle, according to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) was instrumental in saving the woman’s life. They shared the news with their followers on Twitter saying: “This is Digby. Today he did something amazing and helped save a young woman who was thinking of taking her own life on a bridge over the M5 near Exeter.”

They could not do it without Digby as police negotiations were failing. It was the fire crew members who suggested calling their “defusing” dog Digby. Upon arrival, the mood changed. The woman smiled when she saw Digby and the authorities knew the negotiations were back on track. They asked her if she would like to meet Digby and this caused her to come back over the railings to safety.

The woman is now in recovery.

The tactic of using dogs to help humans with trauma is not new. Back in April, a 160 pound St.Bernard named Clarence became the first official Police Comfort Dog in the United States. He was accompanied by Keeva, an Akita, and Hank, a chocolate Lab in the halls of Congress.

Clarence works with the Greenfield, Massachusetts Police Department. During this time, he has served at tragedies such as Sandy Hook, the Las Vegas shootings, the Boston Marathon, and the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.

He is joined by Loki, a two-year-old Rottweiler who works as a dogtor since the start of the coronavirus pandemic at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Image Source: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service