Faithful pet saves retired grocer's life
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff reporter
Retired grocer Dave Jackson was in a deep sleep the night of May 26 at his home in Marion when he felt something wet and rough on his face.
"Dakota!" he mumbled instinctively, blurting out the name of the household pet.That woke his wife, Vicki, who quickly got up and took the dog to another room.
After she returned to bed, she noticed that Dave was in the midst of a full-blown insulin reaction. "He was shaky and pale and had a dazed look," Vicki said. "I was scared."
She jumped up and ran to get him some juice to calm him somewhat. He then ate a sandwich, but it took another 30 minutes for him to feel normal again.
The couple said this is the first time that the 27-year diabetic has had such an advanced reaction. They said if he hadn't been awakened, he could have gone into a diabetic coma and died.
Dave said in the past he always has woke up when a reaction was coming on. He said a fluttery stomach, similar to an intense hunger pang, would wake him so he could take some juice to replenish his blood sugar. This time he didn't wake up on his own.
Dave and Vicki have been skeptical when they heard stories of how animals had saved people's lives. This experience has changed them into believers.
The Jacksons have had Dakota for more than six months. She is a Golden Retriever who weighed 11 pounds at seven weeks old and now is a large dog. However, she still is a pup and is very playful.
"I just wanted a pet, and David and I fell in love with her," Vicki said.
The dog sleeps on the floor at the foot of their bed and always sleeps through the night. The Jacksons said this is the first time she has awakened them in the middle of the night. They can't understand why she did it or why Dave didn't wake up like usual. They're just glad he is OK.
For her heroic action, Dakota got a reward: "We felt so bad afterward (for putting her out) that we took her to bed with us," Vicki said.
