12/22/2006 (KFSN) -- The black lab, Calliope, just moved to Fresno this week to assist her owner who is blind. Calliope not only created a new life of opportunity for her owner, but she's being credited with saving the life of another. This black lab's big brown eyes help 73 year old Flora Farrell see what she can't.
Emily Simone, Guide Dogs for the Blind says, "Flora has Macrodegeneration, which is the number one cause of blindness."
Two year old Calliope moved in to Flora's senior housing village in southeast Fresno this week. At three in the morning, on her second night in her new home, Calliope started acting strangely. Farrell says the dog finally got her out of bed and pulled her straight to the bathroom, leading her to a wall. She says, "She was looking at the wall, and then I heard (moaning sounds) and I said what is that? I said 'oh my goodness, that lady must be hurt!'" It turns out Flora's next door neighbor had fallen an hour earlier, hit her head, and couldn't get up. Flora called security and her neighbor was taken to the hospital for help.
Emily Simone who trains guide dogs for the blind feels Calliope saved that woman's life. She says, "To have this dog just intentionally go and wake her up in the middle of the night out of her normal routine and to be so insistent about Flora getting up. That is impressive. And to take that one step further and take her into a bathroom, I means this dog is just a hero, absolutely a hero to me."
They say what is so impressive is just how new this dog and owner are. The fact the dog keyed in and the owner paid attention, is something worth celebrating. Says she had been teaching her to be quiet, this was the first time she was.
Sponsored Content
- Kettleman City Birth Defects Not Unusually High 34 min ago
- Suspects Wanted in Connection to Fresno Homicide 49 min ago
- Fresno's Mayor Announced New City Manager
- Giving a Proper Farewell, Military Funeral Honors
- First Five BASIC Giveaway
- State Spent $75M in the Midst of Budget Crisis
- Suspicious Teen Death in Fresno County
- Father of 11-Year-Old Driver Arrested
- Cruise suits up for `Mission: Impossible IV'
- Lil Wayne NY sentencing put off for dental surgery
-
Most Popular
-
Most Viewed StoriesMost Viewed VideoMost Viewed Photos
ABC30 Everywhere
Wireless
Breaking news as it happens. Sign up now!
Visit our mobile site at myabc30.com.
Get our iPhone application.
Newsletters, Alerts, and RSS
Sign up for our newsletters to get news, weather and other alerts via email.
Get breaking news alerts on your desktop
With our RSS feeds, get real-time updates of abc30.com using your favorite news reader.
Blog
Contests, Promotions, and Registration
Check out our contests and promotions. There are always great opportunities to win!
Become a member to enter contests, comment on stories, receive newsletters, and more!





