Life Saver
Suddenly, she jumped up from the passenger floor and made her way onto Derek’s lap. He panicked as he tried to get her down while remaining in control of the car. It was no use. She wasn’t going anywhere.
He continued to drive, wondering why his dog was suddenly so needy, but affection was the last thing Daisy wanted. Her actions would save both their lives.
Derek James
Derek James had been an animal lover since he was young. He loved all animals but he had a special place in his heart for dogs. Especially older dogs that were in need of a home.
Derek had already adopted two old dogs, giving them a loving home to live out the rest of their days. But now, with an empty house, Derek was keen to do the same for another dog and that’s when he met Daisy.
Daisy
Daisy was the most precious dog Derek had ever seen and her backstory was even more special. Daisy was an ex-guide dog. Her career was cut short after she was discovered to be deaf and had developed partial blindness herself.
As a special needs dog, she needed a loving home and constant company. Derek worked remotely so he took her without hesitation.
Another Car Ride
The two had bonded like something you’d see out of a children’s novel. They did everything together and were the best of friends. But little did Derek know, he was about to owe his life to Daisy.
It was just another Saturday evening when Derek decided to bring Daisy to visit his friend who lived just outside of town. It was a car journey they both made often. But today would be far different from before.
Stage 5 Clinger
Derek loaded Daisy into the passenger seat with her usual cushion placed on the ground that she likes to lie on. Then he hopped in the car and turned the engine on. It was a 40-minute drive each way.
But after 10 minutes into the journey, Daisy suddenly got up and found her way onto Derek’s lap, clinging to him.
Disobeying Orders
Derek tried to command her to get back to the passenger seat but she was set on disobeying him. Instead, she continued to cling to him like honey to a jar.
David slowed down his driving and shifted her weight more comfortably on his lap. She was normally so well behaved. What on earth was she doing?
Something’s Off
As Derek tried to sweet talk Daisy to get down, he began to notice the unusual amount of cars traveling in the opposite direction on the lane next to him.
“That’s weird”, he thought. “Is there a game on?” He looked in his mirror and noticed it was only him and one other car behind him traveling in his direction. Normally, the road would be busy. He shrugged it off, but he should have paid attention.
None The Wiser
Derek turned on the radio and continued his journey, oblivious to the cars that had begun to pull over and turn around in front of him.
Daisy began to grow more restless, pressing herself against Derek who returned her movements with soothing murmurs and head rubs. But he wasn’t getting it. Daisy wasn’t looking for affection. She was trying to tell him something.
Only One Left
The car that was following behind him had disappeared. There were no turn-offs so he must have turned around. What was going on?
The further he drove the more anxious Daisy became. She began to whine as she clung to him on his lap. Now Derek became worried something was wrong with Daisy. He pulled over, but what he’d find would leave him shaking with shock.
Yelps Of Warning
When Derek pulled over and reached for the door to hop out of the car, Daisy let out a stream of yelps. Derek had never seen her act so strangely. He comforted her before continuing to open his door. He had to take a better look at her to see if she was hurt.
But the reason she was acting so frantic had nothing to do with any injury. And that’s exactly what Derek was about to find out.
Eerie Atmosphere
As soon as Derek opened the car door, he was struck by how quiet it was. Apart from the steady engine noise of the cars that passed, everything else seemed still. Too still.
That’s when he looked around and saw the scariest sight he had ever seen in his whole life. His heart pounded as he jumped back inside his car and put it in reverse. He spun the car around as soon as there was a space to. What happened?
Tornadoes
Derek was driving straight into the eye of three giant tornadoes that were moving at an incredible speed toward his direction.
The tornadoes pounded the earth, spewed debris and objects high into the air as they tore across the land with a vengeance. If Derek hadn’t stopped when he did, it would have been far far too close for comfort. Then everything clicked.
Mission Accomplished
As he drove away, pressing the accelerator hard, he looked at Daisy. She was calm now, sitting in the passenger seat like she usually did.
Was that what she was trying to tell him all along? Was that why she was so clingy? Because she sensed the danger he was bringing himself into? Then he remembered something else.
Training Kicks In
Because of Daisy’s past work as a guide dog, she was trained to signal to her owner when they were walking into danger by hugging her body close to them.
But because she had developed partial blindness and deafness, Derek thought her ability to sense these things were long gone. Obviously, he was wrong.But how?
A Hero
Although hearing and seeing are two very important senses for a dog, nothing triumphs their how important their sense of smell is and just how powerful that sense can be!
Although Daisy couldn’t hear or see what was happening, she was able to sense the vibration in the ground and smell the threatening conditions in the atmosphere. It was enough to get her to initiate the training she learnt as a guide dog and save Derek’s life!