Cindi Davis knows she is highly allergic. “I’m allergic to everything,” she explains. So when she was stung by a bee, she found herself in a near-death situation. After the sting, Cindi needed an immediate dose adrenaline to prevent her throat from closing shut and suffocating the Gaston County, NC woman. Unfortunately, she was away from her home. She tried to make it back home, but only made it as far as her front hallway. As she began to collapse, she hit her head on the door frame and then loss consciousness.
When Cindi awoke, her pet Spook was right there. “She was licking at my face, pulling at my shirt, barking (and) going crazy,” Cindi recalls. Spook continued to administer her special form of “treatment” until the woman regained consciousness and was able to crawl into her bedroom for the medication and then was able to call 911.
Cindi first met the Australian Cattle Dog a few years ago when the dog was running around a cemetery near her home. She named the little dog Spook and they have been great companions ever since.
Since the bee-stinging incident, Cindi has petitioned to have Spook recognized as a service dog, which would allow her to be admitted wherever her owner went. Under the American Disabilities Act, courts may assess a penalty of up to $50,000 for refusing entry to a service animal. Now as a service animal, Spook is able to accompany Cindi on airplanes, restaurants and other public places and is able to help protect her owner from harm and bees.