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A rescue dog became an unlikely hero after it called for help for his 88-year-old owner who fell and could not get back up.
Gwendola Johnson had fallen after tripping on her side porch in California, USA, on July 10, as per CW-affiliate KTLA last Friday, Aug. 21.
While Johnson remained on the ground, she spotted trash collector Kirk White walking up her driveway to empty her garbage bins. She then quickly called for her dog Sandy and told him to approach White.
“When I saw him, I said to Sandy, ‘You go get him,’ so he did,” she said in the report.
Sandy then rushed toward White and began barking at him. White eventually realized that something must have been wrong since Sandy was not in his usual spot when White passes by for the trash.
“He was barking. It wasn’t aggressive in any way,” White said. “It was kind of very much just like ‘Hey, I have something to show you—come follow me.’”
Security footage from Johnson’s front door then showed White following Sandy to the side of the house, where he saw her lying on the ground. Once he helped Johnson get back on her feet, he also made sure that she did not sustain any injuries.
Following the incident, Johnson’s granddaughter Cheryl Malvar commended White for his help. She then noted that Sandy and White were both heroes on that day.
“Kirk actually made an effort. Not everybody does. He investigated and he was aware enough to know it was off,” she was quoted as saying. “We love him. He’ll always have friends here.”
Meanwhile, when White recalled the incident, he simply stated that anyone in that position would have done the same.
“Just helping another human, that’s what we’re supposed to do,” he added in the report.
Though White currently does not own a dog, he is now considering housing one after the incident. He also emphasized that people “can learn something from animals.” Ryan Arcadio /ra
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