WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There was a scare in the air at 20,000 feet as a woman went into diabetic shock on a flight to West Palm Beach, but her four-legged friend proved to be a lifesaver.
“The bond that we have is indescribable,” said Britt Grogan, as she looked down at her dog.
At only five pounds, Ruxx may be small in size, but the bond with his owner is larger than life.
“Him coming into my life was like this little bundle of joy,” she said.
Last week, Britt and her toy poodle were on a Frontier flight from Trenton to West Palm Beach when Britt had a mid-air scare.
“He was so amazing on the plane,” Britt said. “He was not going to stop until I woke up, I mean I felt like he was digging a hole in my leg.”
Britt has a rare form of diabetes. She has an insulin pump, and Ruxx is her other layer of security. He is a service dog, and when he sensed Britt’s sugar was dropping he started aggressively licking and digging in her lap.
“Those animals are just a life changer. They just make their life totally different,” said Shay Maimoni, owner of WooF Dogs.
Ruxx was trained by Maimoni at WooF Dogs in Loxahatchee. He’s trained explosive and drug detection dogs, but Ruxx is able to smell the change in Britt’s sugar.
“The dog literally saved her life by just telling her your blood sugar is low and you need to wake up and take care of yourself,” Maimoni said.
Britt says she was able to ask for help and the flight attendant, Michelle, and a nurse, Eric, sat with her and gave her orange juice. Britt was disoriented, but received the help she needed thanks to her savior and sidekick.
“This is my ride or die. This is my Robin...well I’m probably Robin...he’s Batman,” Britt joked.