After the training he went through, Felix was always by George’s side, prepared for anything to happen.  Felix was a golden retriever with a big heart.  He was born and raised in the home of George Breckenridge.  George found Felix as a puppy on the side of the road in a box.  “I was going on one of my usual walks around the block and I saw the box sitting in the grass.  It said ‘free for the taking’ on the side of it.  I just barely opened the box and I saw my little Felix looking at me with his big brown eyes.  So I took him home and got him all cleaned up and everything.”  George made sure Felix was very well taken care of, and when Felix got older the more rambunctious he got.  “One time I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride in the car.”  George says giggling, “And he ran down the hallway and skidded on the floor trying to stop, and ran right into the door!”
Whenever George hit the age of fifty six, he discovered he had Atherosclerosis.  This is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries.  This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow.  Because there is less blood flow, a blood clot could form, which can stop the blood flow completely.  This can cause a heart attack or stroke.  “It was one the scariest moments of my life.” George said.  George was constantly tired and had horrible chest pains.  He visited the hospital quite frequently for tests and treatment.  In the event of having heart attacks or a stroke, George had gotten a button to alert 911 incase anything happened.
On a day like any other, George was sitting in the armchair in his living room and he felt an incredible pain shoot through his left arm and a tight pressure feeling in his chest.  “I had chest pains before but this one wasn’t like the others. I knew exactly what was happening, a heart attack.  I went for my button, but it wasn’t with me. I looked around for it, and it was on the table a few feet from the chair. I reached for it, and that is when I blacked out.”  George was later informed that while he was in cardiac arrest, Felix had pushed the button and the ambulance had come and got him.  “Don’t ask me how he did it, the doctor told me he barked and whined into the speaker.  All I can say is that he is one smart dog!” Felix had saved George’s life, and he was very grateful.  Felix got approval to be in George’s room and he stayed by his side the whole time he was in the hospital. 
On the second day, a doctor came into George’s room and sat down to talk with him.  The doctor asked George about Felix and about how he saved George’s life.  “He told me Felix was a very special dog and if I wanted; we could get him a license as a service dog.”  A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have disabilities.  “I didn’t know what a service dog was, so he told me. I ended up thinking it was a great idea.”  Felix went to get trained, and with several weeks of hard work, was able to come home to his partner.  George waited for Felix on the steps of his home, and when the van pulled up he smiled.  Felix jumped out of the car and raced over to George; he licked his face and wanted to be loved on by his owner.    
After the training, Felix was always there to save George from harm.   George, over the course of five years, had only one other heart attack and Felix knew just how to react.  George has survived all this, and is still alive today, Felix on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.  At the age of about 10, Felix was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer).  Osteosarcoma develops deep within the bone and becomes progressively more painful as it grows outward and the bone is destroyed from the inside out.  Obvious swelling becomes evident as the tumor grows and normal bone is replaced by tumorous bone.  Tumorous bone is not as strong as a healthy bone and can break with minor injury.  Felix was treated with chemo, surgery, and radiation, but he did not pull through.  “I guess it was just too hard on his body.”  George sobs, “I still miss him so much.  He was my best friend.”  Even if Felix did not make it through, he still lives on the hearts of those who loved him.  George has maintained his Atherosclerosis by dieting, staying active, maintaining a good weight, and lots of medicines.  “I do miss Felix, but I am very happy with how things are right now.  I’ve moved a little closer to my family, and I am feeling better than I have in a while.  Felix saved my life in more ways than physically, and I hope that everyone has someone like that in their life, furry or not.”