A Tampa man is crediting his guide dog with helping detect a potentially life-threatening health condition that led him to seek medical care. Luis Perez, who is visually impaired, was matched with his guide dog Jerry in 2024 through Dogs Inc. The black Labrador retriever quickly became an important part of his life, helping him regain independence and confidence.
Perez says Jerry not only helped him physically but also provided emotional support as he managed anxiety and depression. In February, Perez experienced severe pain in his left leg, and Jerry repeatedly pressed his chin against the area and refused to let him move. “He kept doing it, and he wouldn’t let me stand up,” Perez recalls, which led him and his wife to eventually visit the emergency room.
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed Perez with deep vein thrombosis, a condition involving a dangerous blood clot that could have been fatal if it traveled to his lungs or heart. “If it weren’t for his concern, I wouldn’t have gone to the hospital and gotten checked out,” Perez says, “He saved me.”
Source: PEOPLE
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