WYNANTSKILL N.Y. (NEWS10) — One dog in Wynantskill was barking to save a life. The dog’s owner says if she didn’t hear her dog, she wouldn’t have known her neighbor was in need for help.
Meet Joy. She’s a small but mighty 5-year-old dog.
“She’s my soulmate. We are together all the time. She’s a registered emotional support dog. and we spend all of our time together. She goes where I go,” says Greta Edmonds, Joy’s owner and best friend.
After Greta lost her Yorkie of 14 and a half years, she was distraught. She never thought she would adopt another dog. However, after months of feeling alone, she decided to volunteer at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, and that’s where she met the cute Havanese mix.
“I was not going to have another dog because I didn’t want to go through that emotional strain again —but once I saw that face, it was all over,” says Greta.
Greta adopted Joy five years ago. The two bonded instantly, and Joy is still attached to Greta’s hip…literally!
Who would have known this little pup could save someone’s life? Last Saturday, Greta was relaxing, trying to watching tv but Joy kept mysteriously barking at the front door.
“Several times I asked her to stop, and she wouldn’t. I got up, went to the door and peeped out the hole and there was nothing, and so I sat back down and she continued to bark. So finally, I got back up and I opened my door and heard someone calling for help,” Greta adds.
As soon as Greta opened the door, she saw her 94-year-old neighbor kneeling in her doorway, covered in blood. “It was really scary. She fell in her living room apparently and cut the back of her head open.”
Right away Greta dialed 9-1-1.
“[Joy] knows her, and she recognized her voice. If it wouldn’t have been from Joy barking, I wouldn’t have heard her and neither would anyone else in the building. She recognized someone was in jeopardy and she stepped up.”
Greta’s neighbor is still recovering in the hospital, but Greta thinks she’s going to be OK. Greta’s not sure if her neighbor knows a dog saved her life.
“When she gets home, we’ll share the story with her, and she adores Joy!”
Joy is a little camera shy, but that’s okay. She’s a companion and a true hero who should be recognized.
