‘ Furry Four-Legged Heroes ’
Bella and Sadie save their human after a stroke .
By Wesley Roberts
When Bella ( back ) wasn ’ t comforted with treats and Sadie wasn ’ t around , the neighbor knew something was wrong .
A few weeks before Christmas 2018 , St . Augustine resident Alexandra Naspolini was enjoying a cup of coffee when she heard a neighbor ’ s dog barking frantically at her back door .
“ Everyone in the neighborhood has a dog so I didn ’ t know whose it was at first ,” said Naspolini , who lives across the street from Maureen Hatcher and her Labrador retrievers named Bella and Sadie . “ When I realized the dog was Bella , I tried to comfort her with some toys and treats . But she was so unsettled , I knew something wasn ’ t right and grabbed a leash .”
An alarming discovery
When Naspolini stepped out of her house , she saw Sadie standing by Hatcher ’ s open front door , barking loudly . Naspolini ran across the street and entered Hatcher ’ s home , where she discovered her neighbor lying unresponsive on her bed .
Hatcher , 62 , was showing clear signs of a stroke : confusion , weakness on one side of the body and trouble speaking . Naspolini called 911 .
Eleven minutes later , St . Johns County Fire Rescue arrived and transported Hatcher to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville , home to one of only seven certified Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Florida .
22 | FLAGLER PARENT M A G A Z I N E