Chad Mason of Canton, Ohio, met his Pit Bull named Bunny when he least expected it. Around Easter in 2021, Bunny was a stray that wandered up to Mason’s house and immediately fell in love with him. Mason was just moving into his current home when the dog crawled under his legs and followed him.
At first, Mason took the stray dog to the Stark County Dog Warden’s Division, but it took him less than a week to decide that he wanted to adopt her. Yet, when he brought her home, he never imagined that she would rescue him in return one day.
Rescue Dog Becomes Rescuer
A few months after Mason adopted Bunny, he had a cerebral stroke. He was inside his house with no other people home, but Bunny knew something was wrong right away.
“I remember hitting the floor. My right side didn’t work. My dog started freaking out,” Mason said. “She sure the heck knew something was wrong.”
Somehow, Mason managed to crawl from the bathroom floor to the front door. He pushed it open in hopes of finding help, but Bunny took control of the situation. She ran to the end of the driveway and barked repeatedly until someone noticed.
Misty Gore, who lives across the street, came outside to check on Bunny. She knew the dog’s barking was an unusual behavior, so she suspected something was wrong. By then, Mason had crawled outside, so Gore ran back home to grab her phone and call for help. Bunny followed her the whole time.
Bunny is a Hero!
Chad faced a long recovery after that moment, but it would’ve been worse if Bunny hadn’t been around. Walking and speaking were difficult at first, but he’s made significant improvements since then. When asked if Bunny was a hero to him, he said he never thought of it like that, but he agrees that ‘hero’ is a great word to describe her.
“I think she’s amazing,” Gore said. “She saved his life.”
Mason said he and Bunny have a long life together ahead of them. He’ll forever be grateful for her actions. Deputy Jon Barber with the Stark County Dog Warden’s Division said dogs are often incredible during times of need, and this story is an excellent example of that.
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“When they see something that’s out of the normal, obviously, they’re going to alert to that. They’re going to be aware that something is just not right,” Barber said.
There are always wonderful shelter dogs like Bunny looking for forever homes, and this experience emphasizes how loyal rescue dogs can be.
Featured Image: screenshot, news5cleveland.com
Toledo, United States.
