Seeing-eye dogs are incredibly smart service animals who are able to help their owners with a wide variety of tasks.
These dogs learn how to navigate city streets, and they also learn how to fetch things for their blind owners. These intelligent pups help people with visual impairments live independently.
Yolanda the Labrador Retriever is a seeing-eye dog who lives with her owner, Maria Colon, in Philadelphia. Yolanda loves Colon more than anything, and Colon loves her just as much. Colon bought a special phone and taught Yolanda how to call 911 on it. In 2014, Yolanda used the phone for the first time when Colon fell down and was knocked unconscious.
In 2015, Yolanda had to call 911 again. This time, it was for a fire in her house.
The fire started while Colon was sleeping. When she woke up in the morning, she smelled smoke in her house.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, It’s smoke. And I can’t breathe,'” Colon told NBC Philadelphia.
She quickly yelled ‘danger’ to Yolanda. Yolanda had been trained to call 911 when she heard that word, and the intelligent pup quickly jumped into action.
Yolanda ran over to her special phone and dialed 911.
“I hear the phone — tke, tke, tke. And she’s growling. And I said, ‘Oh my lord, she called the police,'” Colon said.
After calling the police, Yolanda dragged Colon out of the house.
Fire trucks and ambulances quickly arrived, and the firemen got to work fighting the fire that had taken over Colon’s house.
The paramedics took Colon to Nazareth Hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation. Yolanda went to Penn Ryan Veterinary Hospital, where she was also treated for smoke inhalation and a scratched eye.
Thankfully, both the pup and her owner recovered quickly. If Yolanda hadn’t acted so fast, it could have been much worse.
Yolanda and Colon reunited the day after the fire. They were so happy to see each other!
“I’m her Mommy, and she loves me too much,” Colon said.
The vets were amazed by Yolanda’s bravery. They gave her plenty of treats and food, and they also gave her all the belly rubs she wanted. Many volunteers also brought the heroic dog toys!
In recent years, researchers have been creating more and more devices that allow service dogs to communicate with people.
These devices utilize skills dogs learn naturally, like pushing and pulling. With these devices, it’s easier than ever for service dogs to tell people when their owner needs help. This technology is great for service dogs like Yolanda!
Yolanda is an amazing, smart dog who was able to save her beloved owner from a devastating fire. This pup is a true hero!
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