A lot of us might say we owe our lives to our pets. Especially after being home with them for months during quarantine, even when they drive us crazy sometimes, they’re always there when we need them.

For Brian Myers, saying his dog saved his life is much more straightforward.

Bringing home Sadie

After his ordeal, Myers talked to TODAY, telling them the day he brought home his new German Shepherd Sadie from a rescue in September of 2020, he tried to take her photo, she was too happy to sit still.

“She jumped up and put her paws on my shoulders and gave me a kiss on the face,” he told TODAY. “And it just seemed to me that she was saying, ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’”

She was 6 at the time, surrendered by her owners to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge because their new home didn’t allow the breed. And it turns out the shelter houses a lot of GSDs for this reason.

“It’s not uncommon for us to get a call like this one, where the landlord has some sort of prejudice against misunderstood breeds such as a shepherd or a pit bull,” the shelter told TODAY. “We see it all the time.”

Like many older dogs, Sadie was tough to place. But despite her suspicion of men, Myers was keen to give the beautiful dog a second chance at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Forging a bond

The two have been inseparable for months,

“She follows me everywhere. She’s my best friend,” Myers said.

When he battled COVID, Sadie never left his side and she was what got him up and walking again when he had left the worst of it behind.

Or at least, what he thought was the worst of it.

Complications

Even when the disease doesn’t appear to be life-threatening, COVID-19 can leave people with damage on the inside that they don’t know about. That’s why it’s so important to avoid it.

“I thought I was out of the woods with COVID,” Myers told TODAY. “But apparently many people are developing blood clots after they’ve recovered from COVID. And so unbeknownst to me, I had a stroke in the middle of the night.”

When Myers had his stroke, he was lucky to have Sadie right there in bed. He couldn’t control his muscles and he couldn’t get off the floor.

“She immediately came down from the bed and came running over to my side and she laid down next to me and was kissing my face and letting me know that she was concerned and upset.”

A means of rescue

Sadie’s rescue isn’t one of miraculously learning to dial 911 or running out and alerting the neighbors, Lassi-style. She was simply there when her dad reached up to comfort her and realized that he could possibly get himself up if he held on to her collar to pull himself.

Of course, Sadie would need to understand that she had to stay still and pull back to act as a counterweight.

“When I grabbed her collar, she, I don’t know, just instinctively knew to start walking backwards and pulling me. And between her pulling me and whatever strength I could muster, I was able to slide myself across the floor and get out of the corner I was trapped in,” he said. “Otherwise I may be still laying there right now.”

The road to healing

What started out as an attempt to save Sadie and give her a better life turned out to be life-saving for Myers as well. He pulled himself up just enough to reach out and call for help – and that help came in time to save him.

The stroke affected the left side of his body. But while he was in in-patient physical therapy for about a month to regain strength and mobility, he worked as hard as he could so he could get home to his best friend.

Luckily, Myers’ brother was caring for the dog, sending photos, and helping the two FaceTime. Sadie pushed against the screen to get to dad.

“My intention is now to give Sadie the best life that I possibly can going forward,” Myers told TODAY.

There were lots of tears when the duo was reunited outside the hospital doors in early February.

Getting the word out

Myers asked the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge to help get the word out about what Sadie had done for him. He wanted people to know what wonderful animals German Shepherds could be and how many were in need of loving homes.

The shelter (RBARI) is now collecting donations for Sadie’s future needs and medical care since Myers will now need to go on disability and is concerned about being able to care properly for Sadie. You can donate at this website.

Be sure to scroll down below to see the post they shared to Facebook that’s now going viral as well as a video message from Myers.

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Source: TODAY, Facebook – Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, YouTube CBS New York