Therapy Dog Saves Woman Contemplating Suicide

• Digby the therapy dog provides emotional support for firefighters who experience challenging incidents on the job.
• He has since been hailed a hero after he saved a woman’s life.
• The woman was contemplating jumping off from a bridge when she saw Digby and was comforted by the pup’s presence.

A therapy dog is now being hailed a hero after he was able to stop a woman from taking her own life.

Digby, a three-year-old Australian Labradoodle, volunteers for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Emergency service personnel had been called in last week for an urgent situation in Devon, England. A woman was contemplating jumping off a highway bridge.

As the first responders struggled to get through to her, Digby was called in — and he was able to get the woman to step away from the bridge.

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 (thread👇) pic.twitter.com/eMnIG0Dve7— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates) June 15, 2021

The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service detailed the incident in a Twitter thread.

They wrote, “Police negotiators were speaking with the woman but the situation was becoming increasingly worrying.”

“When Digby arrived, the young woman immediately swung her head round to look and smiled,” they continued. “This got a conversation started about Digby and his role at the fire service.”

They then asked her “if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings,” to which she responded favorably.

“We wish the woman involved all the best in her recovery,” they wrote.

The woman was led away from the bridge and back into safety. She was then turned over to the care of mental health professionals.

The fire and rescue service personnel have also found valuable support from Digby, who always cheers them up.

Thank you ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ Digby our very own therapy dog, is very grateful for all the offers of treats and gifts, but he would rather you donate to people who are in difficult situations. Like the samaritans https://t.co/X6DFkes2vV or The Fire Fighters Charity @firefighters999 🚒 pic.twitter.com/fAL1FGrSh5— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates) June 17, 2021

Susan Izzard, a spokesperson for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, shared, “Digby provides a positive distraction when crews arrive back at the station or in the control room.” 

She continued, “Therapy dogs are simply themselves and people automatically feel at ease and comfortable engaging with a dog that is comfortable being stroked and made a fuss of. This is known to lower blood pressure and heart rate, which in turn helps the defusing process.”

Digby the therapy dog is surely a hero!

Source: Tank’s Good News