Sienna the rescue dog – credit, Credit: Friends of Campbell County Animal Control, retrieved from Facebook
Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network
Update: Shelter Dog Who Recognized Man’s Oncoming Seizure Finds Forever Home
A shelter dog who detected a man’s oncoming seizure, having never been trained to do so, has found a forever home after applications flooded in.
Sweet Sienna, the pit bull-lab mix made headlines around the country in June for her medical instincts, on display all-unexpectedly at an adoption event in Rustburg, Virginia.
On that fateful day, Sienna broke away from the crowd of dogs, appreciative attendees, and familiar caretakers, walking right up to a man at a slight distance from the center of the event.
“She sat quietly at his feet, refused to budge, and softly placed her paw on his leg,” Sienna’s shelter, called Friends of Campbell County Animal Control of Virginia, said in a Facebook post at the time. “It wasn’t a trick. It wasn’t prompted. It was pure intuition.”
She then started pawing at his leg. Despite never receiving training on how to detect medical emergencies, Sienna knew something was wrong.
The man, Josh Davis, had forgotten to take his epilepsy medication that morning, and it seemed Sienna knew before anyone else did.
“It looked like something you’d see in the movies,” Kristen Davis, Josh’s husband, told ABC News. “She kept putting her paw up on his leg, and like, ‘Hey, are you paying attention to me? I’m trying to talk to you.’ We were all kind of standing around, like, ‘Did that just happen?’”
After the shelter announced what happened on Facebook, the story was featured on news networks nationwide, and applications for adoption came in by the dozens.
However good Sienna’s intuitions were about Davis, they were at most as good as Sharon Sweeney’s intuition about Sienna. The Virginia resident had an outstanding adoption request before Sienna became Dog of the Day, and she took the 60-pound pooch home this week.
Jackie Poppe, a volunteer at Friends of Campbell County, was walking Sienna around on the day of her heroics, and she says it’s a reminder of the unique powers that shelter dogs have.
“Don’t overlook the stray dog that’s in your local shelter,” said Poppe. “All of them have amazing traits about them.”
The good news in this story is that this beautiful dog found a forever home through an act of grace. Today’s JohnKu talks about doing for others. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.
Golden Rule by John W. Howell © 2025
A shelter dog inspires,
All of us reading this story . . .
Gold is helping others.
Fiction Favorites 
What a wonderful story. Dogs have so much going for them. We are forever grateful for our two rescue dogs.
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We are as well, Darlene. 😊
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Really a wonderful story. Dogs are the greatest gifts given to human beeings. Best wishes, Michael
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I agree with you, Michael. They are the best.
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I agree, each one very special!! 😺🦮🐕🦺🐕
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😀 Thanks, GP.
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Great story, John. Hope your two were taking notes. 🐶🐶🐶
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They wrote the screenplay. Thanks, Pat.
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Knew those two were clever girls.
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Yes indeed.
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Wonderful story. Thanks, John.
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Amazing. How do dogs sense such things? Do they smell something off?
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I think so. Or maybe a vibe that they are in tune with. Who knows?
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This was just the best. Have a wonderful weekend, John. Hugs to your two for me.
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Thank you, Lois. I hope you have a grand weekend as well.
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I love this story so much. There’s pure magic in animal shelters if people are just open enough to see it.
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You are so right, Laura.
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These stories just warm my heart. I wish we were younger so we could go back to adopting shelter dogs.
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I know what you mean.
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Sienna’s uncanny ability is amazing! Do you ever wonder — when Twiggy and Tempeste are staring you down — if they have uncanny abilities, too? I’m glad this pup got rescued. I wonder if her instincts can be taught so people who have medical issues can be matched with the perfect rescue dog?
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There are dogs that have been trained to react to seizure cues. So I suppose it can be learned. I don’t think Twiggy and Tempeste have uncanny abilities.
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That is such an uplifting story. Animals are so special. Glad Sienna found a loving home.
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Me too, Esther. So nice to know someone cares for her.
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Dogs are truly amazing. So instinctive and wonderful companions. I’m glad Siena found a home. She deserved it.
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I agree, Holly. It is good to see a good deed rewarded. I also agree that dogs are amazing.
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Absolutely 🐶🐾🐾
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😊
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A delightful story to end the week, John 🌞
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I agree, Robbie. It is a wonderful way to end the week. 😊
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💝
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😊
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Great intervention by Sweet Sienna, John. It’s nice she got a permanent home. Have a great weekend.
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Thank you, Tim. I hope you have a super weekend too.
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Sienna earned that forever home! Dogs sense what is going on. Sweet story!
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She did earn it, Jo. Thank heavens someone realized what a great dog she would be. Have a great weekend.
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Now that is an inspirational story, John. Wonderful how some dogs just know. And from a “stray” no less! Thank you for sharing this beautiful story and I cannot say how lovely it that Siena found her forever home, too.
Wonderful JohnKu
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I agree, Dale. It is a remarkable story, and the ending is perfect.
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So perfect!
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Yup.
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Dogs are so amazing!
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They are, Liz.
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What an amazing dog! I’m happy it found its forever home.
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I am, too, Deborah.
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Well I’m sure you know how I reacted to this amazing feel-good story. Tears of joy formed and I got the biggest smile on my face and in my heart. I hope precious Sienna has a wonderful life in her new fur-ever home 💙
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I’m with you, Monika. I hope she and her family live their best lives. 😀
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I love this story, John. I just finished reading my shelter dog book (stayed tuned for a post) so this was the best! Your JohnKu gives me a lump in my throat, thank you for that.
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So great, Jennie. I’ll look forward to the post.
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😀
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😊
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A beautiful weekend to you, too John and thank you for sharing this heartwarming story. Best to Sharon and Sienna! 💕 “pure intuition” ✨
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I agree. The best to them all.
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That is a wonderful and amazing story. It reminds me of when our Leonberger Bronco detected an oncoming insulin shock in our Labrador Baylor (well he was really a 3/4 Labrador and 1/4 Rhodesian Ridgeback). He was not trained to do that either.
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That sounds amazing, Thomas. In a past life, I had two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Wonderful dogs
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That is interesting and I’ve heard they are wonderful dogs
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Yes, they are.
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Yanno, every time I think you’ve outdone yourself with these Friday morning Yays, you somehow outdo yourself with a Friday morning Yay! And this week ain’t no different because man, this is such a wonderful story.
What a beautiful heroin! Dogs truly are heaven sent.
Wonderful stuff Boss
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I have to agree with you, Marco. This story warmed my heart. Of course, I’m a little obsessed with our dog right now, but I loved this one. Thanks.
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Awww, yes I understand. Hugs to you guys.
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😊
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Dogs and cats really do pick up on some human physical cues before we ever notice. Thanks for the positivity, John. Hugs.
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I think they do as well, Teagan. Glad you liked it.
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This is a wonderful story, Jon.
It makes me crazy thinking about animals in shelters. I am so happy Sienna has a forever home.
As I feel the JohnKu says, animals have a lot to teach us!
🐶🦮 🐶🦮 🐶🦮 🐶🦮
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Animals have a lot to teach us, for sure. I’m glad Sienna has a forever home, too. 🐶X 🐶X 🐱X 🐱X
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🐶X 🐶X 🐱X 🐱X
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🏆X
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winner/winner! ❤
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Chicken Dinner
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A beautiful story John. The dog saves a life then finds a home. 🙂
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Doesn’t get better than that.
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That’s a fact. 🙂
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Very encouraging story! Thank you, dear John.🍻🍤🍤🍤
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Glad you liked it.
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