'Lifesaving' assistance dog heads to Crufts

Archie Farmer
BBC News, South West
Amy Harris Amy Harris with her dog Wish. Amy has brown hair and is wearing glasses. Her dog has black fur and a harness.Amy Harris
Amy Harris says her dog Wish saved her life after she suffered a seizure

A woman from Devon is heading to the Crufts dog show with her support dog who she says saved her life after she suffered a seizure.

Amy Harris, from Torquay, said her dog Wish pulled her out of the way of a car after she collapsed in the street.

Ms Harris was diagnosed with absence seizures in 2002, a form of epilepsy which involves a brief loss and return of consciousness.

Her curly coated retriever will be an ambassador for her breed part in the Discover Dogs show, a standalone event at Crufts, which is on until Sunday at the NEC in Birmingham.

'She is a lifesaver'

Ms Harris said she suffered more than 70 seizures a day and relied on her assistant dog to keep her safe.

"I've been hit by cars because of my absent seizures, but Wish now helps to guide me away from crossing the road until I say the word cross," she said.

"She is a lifesaver, a few weeks ago I fell on the road during one of my seizures, I woke up and she had pulled me out of the way of a speeding car."

She said she has "loads of friends" at dog shows and enjoyed attending them.

"It frees me up, it's my little social circle where I can just be myself," she said.

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