Woman was about to have a panic attack but her brilliant autism service dog knew exactly what to do
Think about a world where dogs, your soul companions, not only shower unconditional love and loyalty but also help you in ways that transform your life positively. We are talking about specially trained service dogs that are true angels for individuals, especially those struggling with physical, mental and emotional challenges. Of course, navigating life with health conditions and disabilities is challenging in ways we can't even envision; a service dog can make the journey easier. Similarly, Sabrina Flores shared a powerful video of her service dog, Marley, gently calming her during a panic attack. The incredible video, posted on Dogspotting Society's official Facebook page, received an overwhelming response from viewers.
In the now-viral video, Flores was sitting in her living room with Marley by her side when panic suddenly took over, leaving the woman in uncontrollable tears. At first, Flores brushed her service dog's paws from her thighs but determined Marley took charge—placing his front limbs on her lap and affectionately licking her face to help her relax. Eventually, Flores surrendered to Marley's comfort, finally allowing him to ease her anxiety as she lovingly took her dog in a strong, reassuring embrace.
"Here is what my autism service dog Marley does to help me when I am having a more severe attack (Yes, I filmed it for awareness and training to see what I can get Marley to improve on, etc)," she shared in the caption. Moreover, Flores revealed that during panic attacks, she sometimes risks harming herself, but Marley is trained to intervene and prevent it. "See how he gets his paws and face right between my arms and my face and pulls them away into a forced hug," she added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Facebook post, Tessa Harwizondo commented, "I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to share these, but I absolutely love seeing the hard work you both put into his training so he can help you in the best way possible. Thank you for having the courage to share this with us. It is so beautiful to watch." Similarly, Fortuna Jade wrote, "I have an autism service dog too! I also ignore his alerts sometimes, but he keeps going! It's really hard to train a dog to be more persistent." Kat Kincaid shared, "My service dog does something very similar to this for my severe anxiety attacks. It’s so brave of you to post this video to bring awareness to the importance of service animals!! Your dog is amazing and beautiful!"
On the other hand, Tonya Chamberlain shared, "God, I'm so glad you have her! This made me cry. I know it doesn't compare to an autistic meltdown, but I have a dog who does the same when I have a panic attack. I will resist at first and try and push her away, but she keeps at me until what she is doing finally filters through my panic and is usually able to bring me down from the attack. She's not a trained service dog. Just a wonderful, instinctive angel." Natasha Lynne commented, "You are so brave and beautiful even on your bad days, and I am so glad your dog can help you in this way. Thank you for sharing!" Christine Egan wrote, "This is so raw and beautiful and brave. Most of us never see assistance dogs in action, and it's really heartwarming to see how much a dog can influence our lives for the better."
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