Dogs are incredible creatures! They sniff out bombs, detect living bodies buried in debris and help blind people navigate busy sidewalks and cross intersections.
They heal broken hearts and provide cuddles at the right time. They also can curb panic attacks in vulnerable individuals who can’t pull themselves out of the mire of a sensory overload.
Hayley Martin of Sydney, Australia, relies heavily on her dog Marley to pull her out of a panic attack. Hayley has autism and often experiences instances where she becomes completely debilitated. But Marley saves her every time.
The precious pooch, an autism service dog, and Hayley first met in May 2018. It didn’t take long for the pup to turn her life around.
“This dog has saved my life. He has become my service dog. He has made me more independent. Has given me so much of my life back.”
Some dogs are trained to detect when an epileptic seizure is imminent in some people. Marley is able to sense when Hayley is about to have a panic attack and intervenes. She tries to soothe Hayley so that she doesn’t get hurt or hurt herself.
Marley’s effect on Hayley is incredible. She decided to share a video of one of her panic attacks and how Marley saves her.
In the video, Hayley grows more and more agitated. She rubs her face and puts her fist in her mouth.
She scratches and hits her legs in a way to self-soothe, but it doesn’t work well. Hayley repeatedly rubs her face, clearly distraught.
Marley sets his paw on her hand, hoping the gentle but reaffirming touch will pull her out of it.
Hayley shoves his paw away time after time, but Marley doesn’t give up. He just keeps placing his paw on her in the hopes of helping her settle down.
Marley recognizes that this technique isn’t working and takes it to the next level. He hoists the upper half of his body up onto her lap and dog hugs her, licking away her tears.
Hayley hits herself in her head with her fist, but Marley hangs in there and keeps doing his job. He won’t give up on his owner.
Hayley remains still upset, but slowly settles down and eventually wraps her arms around her loyal companion.
“So grateful to have this boy every single day. This was harder to upload, and it’s a bit more severe than the others. But I wanna show people that dogs can help in great ways.”
She rocks back and forth and clutches Marley in her arms, hanging on for dear life. Right now, her best buddy is her life preserver while she tries not to drown in a sea of panic.
Hayley gives him a kiss on his face and pats his side, letting him know he did exactly what she needed him to do.
Not once did Marley’s tail stop wagging. Hayley peppers his face with kisses and strokes his silky fur, likely another way to soothe herself.
Marley truly is a blessing to Hayley! How incredible is this dog!
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