Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
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

By Andy Corbley –

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 down, looked him in the eye, put her paw on his leg, and refused to leave his side.

“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.

72 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  10. 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?

    Liked by 1 person

  16. 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

    Liked by 1 person

  19. 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 💙

    Liked by 1 person

  20. 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.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. 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.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. 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

    Liked by 1 person

  25. 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!

    🐶🦮 🐶🦮 🐶🦮 🐶🦮

    Liked by 1 person

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