Veteran's Labrador woke him up unusually early and refused to let him go back to sleep — moments later, the chilling reason left doctors stunned

The U.S. Army and Marines veteran healing from PTSD credited his recovery and sense of peace to his loyal dog.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) Mid adult man and dog sleeping together, (R) Nurse visiting an elderly male patient. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Federico Moreno, (R) Chong Kee Siong)

A veteran was deep in his sleep when his loyal dog started persistently poking him. It was a bit earlier than his usual time at 7 a.m. The dog owner, Hank Ford, could not understand why his dog was suddenly acting strange that February morning in 2025. Tommy, his yellow Labrador, refused to leave him alone and kept his owner up until a terrifying realization struck him. Moments later, Ford was driving himself to the nearest hospital, where the doctor informed him of the chilling reason for his dog’s behavior.

Senior yellow lab takes a nap in a living room (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Ann Schwede) — Yellow lab takes a nap in a living room. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Ann Schwede)

Ford, who had served in the U.S. Army and Marines, was recovering from a tragic past dealing with PTSD and credited his mental well-being to his beloved pet, Tommy. The duo shared a close-knit bond and spent a lot of time together. Tommy was always at the beck and call of his veteran owner and had a way with him, allowing Ford to let go of all his past worries. The pup would wake him up every morning to start his day with a cheerful furry face. One day, the nudges came a bit earlier. The 3-year-old Labrador poked Ford with his nose to wake him and eventually began barking at him.

A man with his dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | thevibrantmachine) — A man with his dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | thevibrantmachine)

A friendly dog, Tommy, never barked at his owner. He pawed and pushed his owner in the chest. "He was hitting me in the chest. He wasn't coming up to my face,” Ford told ABC7. “He just lay there, with his nose looking right at me.” The dog’s strange behavior forced him to get up when he suddenly had a bad feeling about his health. Ford rushed to the hospital and found out that he was in “A-fib”, short for atrial fibrillation, an irregular and rapid heartbeat that can lead to complications in the heart, per Mayo Clinic. The doctor informed him that his dog had saved his life.

An old man in the hospital wearing oxygen mask (Representative Image Source: Pexels |
Engin Akyurt) — An old man in the hospital wearing oxygen mask. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Engin Akyurt)

Had Ford continued to sleep, chances were high that the senior veteran would have passed away due to a massive stroke that was about to follow. The constant barks and pulling by Tommy had prevented the owner from slipping into a critical situation that could have cost him his life. Ford was admitted and later administered shock treatment. He also underwent cardiac ablation and was put on medication for his heart ailment. Nine months later, the veteran is back on his feet and feels grateful for his loyal dog.

While his dog saved him from a heart attack, Ford believes Tommy had long enriched his life with his mere existence. “Used to be, I walk into a place and I'm looking for exits. I'm watching everybody. I'm just not trusting anything that's going on, and with him, I'm just, all that seems to have gone away," the veteran shared in the interview. He received a lifesaver in the form of his service dog from a nonprofit organization called Dogs, Inc. They also provide guide dogs to disabled people and are soon to help Type-1 diabetes patients with pups that can detect blood sugar changes.