Hero of the Week: Buddy

Heroes come in all sizes, shapes and species.  This week's Tonic Hero is one of the furry variety -- in this case, 18-month-old Buddy the German Shepard.

Several weeks ago, Cat Lincoln wrote about how assistance dogs change lives.  Buddy, also an assistance dog, saved a life.

Buddy's owner, Joe Stainaker, a Scottsdale police officer, recently had a seizure at home which stemmed from an old head injury.  Buddy remembered his training and called 911 for help.  Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said that whenever 911 is called, police are dispatched whether or not someone is on the phone.  In this particular case, the 911 dispatcher was notified that a trained assistance dog was present at the address and was trained to call 911 when its owner was incapacitated. Buddy can be heard barking on the 911 dispatch tape.

An amazing dog and an amazing hero, Stainaker adopted Buddy from Michigan's Paws with a Cause.  Buddy is trained to get to the phone and press programmed buttons until a 911 operator is on the line.

Buddy would certainly be a superhero if he could actually call and order pizza!

Source: USA Today, Associated Press

Photo Source: Scottsdale Police Department via AP

Every week, we at Tonic News identify someone (or some dog) out in our huge world doing good and making a difference.  We like to think that we all can be heroes and want the stories of these awesome people to inspire you. If you have nominations for our Tonic Generation’s Hero of the Week, please email Dan at dan[at]tonic.com.