Devon—A three-year-old labradoodle named Digby has been praised after he saved a woman who was thinking of taking her own life on a bridge.
Digby is an Australian labradoodle, a type of dog, whose hypoallergenic (低致敏性的) coat is less likely to start allergic reactions in those he communicates with. He was hired by the fire service in 2018 not for his ability to remove bombs but to relieve stress and anxiety among firefighters who had attended unpleasant call-outs. He also works with vulnerable (脆弱的) people in the community as part of a “pets for therapy” programme.
So when the emergency services were called to a vulnerable woman on a motorway bridge, a firefighter had the bright idea to take Digby along.
“We were at the incident as part of a multi-agency response. Police negotiators were speaking with the woman but the situation was becoming increasingly worrying. When Digby arrived, the young woman immediately swung her head round to look, and smiled,” said a spokesman for Devon and Somerset fire service. “This got a conversation started. The woman was asked if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings (金属栏杆), which we are pleased to say she did. It was Digby who eventually got her out of harm’s way.”
“The use of therapy dogs has been scientifically proven to help people who are exposed to challenging situations in their lives such as ill health or learning disability,” the spokesman added.
Digby has also been trained to go into schools and hospitals for Pets As Therapy charity. Other services have also started adopting therapy dogs to assist in various situations.
【小题1】Why is Digby chosen as a therapy dog?| A．He can remove bombs. |
| B．He can bring relief to people. |
| C．He can deal with emergencies. |
| D．He can communicate with people. |
| A．Digby was finally adopted by the woman. |
| B．Therapy dogs can cure people of illnesses. |
| C．Therapy dogs are now popular in various services. |
| D．The use of therapy dogs was started by a firefighter. |
| A．A news report. |
| B．A science magazine. |
| C．A guidebook. |
| D．A government document. |
