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Hero Service Dog Figo Comes Home!!!

Lisa Vaught
Oct 27, 2015
2 min read

*photo courtesy AP

Remember Figo, the hero service dog we spoke about a few months ago? Figo, who threw himself in front of a bus to prevent his person from being hurt and injured in NYC? Well, he and his person, Audrey Stone reunited monday in suburban New York where she lives. Stone has recovered in a rehabilitation hospital these past few months.

Audrey and Figo (pronounced FEE-goh) had been a team about six and half years before the June 8th accident that sent them both to a hospital. Figo was under donor-funded care at Middleboro Veterinary then returned to the Guide Dog Foundation to make sure that he would be able to continue to serve as Audrey's eyes.

Audrey spent these past months doing painful rehabilitation for her injuries, a broken ankle, elbow and ribs. Figo suffered a serious gash on one of his legs.

Figo, who is eight years old leapt in front of Audrey, protecting her from the oncoming bus. He refused to leave her side immediately after the accident, despite his serious injuries. Audrey petted Figo as he rolled ecstatically in the dirt on their first day home together. “Basically, he would have died for me, doing what he did.” she said. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is giving Figo it's Dog of the year award!

Figo is Audrey's third helper from the Guidedog Foundation for the Blind, based in Smithtown, New York. The association breeds and trains about 85 guides a year. Nationwide there are over 10,000 working guide dogs for the blind, that are trained by different groups according to Wells Jones the foundation's director. Mr. Jones says that they are “tremendously proud of Figo, who really did show a great deal of bravery.”

Audrey said “You feel better, with a dog. It gets me out more.”

Acts of heroism like Figos, one dog at a time, one story at a time are what make service dogs of all sorts such a wonder and help to those that depend on their special talents every day.