Neighbors Give Blind Man a Guide Dog, It Saves His Life Just an Hour Later – Story of the Day

Bobby initially rejected his guide dog, Ruffles, gifted to him by his neighbors. But a remarkable series of events brought him closer to his new best friend.

The residents of Anchor Avenue had a slogan "family first, neighbors second." Housed along a gorgeous road lined with tall oak trees and lush shrubbery, the neighbors developed a caring community.

Grant & Evelyn were the heartbeats of the street, often hosting barbeques and heading up the neighborhood watch. If something was happening on Anchor Ave, they knew about it.

One day, Jessie came by to visit Grant & Evelyn for tea. She was in town to see her aging father, fondly known as Bobby. Jessie had grown up on the street and grew fond of the Herberts' hospitality.

"My old man saw the doctor today. The doctor said that he needed to get and walk more for his health, but my dad said he can't because he's blind," Jessie revealed.

Bobby was a veteran who had lost his vision while serving in the military. Since then, he has been a recluse, spending most of his time inside his house.

"Don't you know I hate dogs!"

"Well, a charity nearby provides services for the blind. Maybe we can all surprise him with his own guide dog," Evelyn suggested.

Jessie agreed, hoping her father wouldn't react poorly to the kind gesture. Bobby had become grumpy and anti-social over the years, even taking issue with a recent surprise birthday party she had thrown for him.

Two weeks later, Jessie and the Herberts brought a guide dog named Ruffles to Bobby's house. Ruffles was a friendly golden retriever with a calm demeanor. Jessie rang the doorbell, and Bobby slowly opened the door.

"That you, Jessie?" He asked inquisitively. "Yes, but I brought a few friends over with me. Grant and Evelyn are here, and we thought we'd surprise you with your very own guide dog," Jessie replied excitedly.

"This is Ruffles, and he's going to help you get out and about more," Grant said while guiding Bobby's hand to pet Ruffles.

Bobby immediately pulled his hand back. Jessie could immediately tell that Bobby was unimpressed. He was famous on Anchor Ave for his mean scowl.

He had secretly hated dogs since childhood and was chased by one in his previous neighborhood. "Don't you know I hate dogs! And I don't need one to guide me anywhere. If you want to walk around so much, I'll be just fine with my cane," Bobby told them.

Jessie tried to explain to her father that a guide dog would be much more effective than a cane, especially if there was traffic. Grant and Evelyn also tried to convince Bobby that Ruffles would be a safe companion.

As hard as they tried, Bobby wouldn't budge. "You can't trust these mutts," he insisted. Jessie could tell that they wouldn't get through to her father. Once he had his mind made up about something, it was almost impossible to convince him otherwise.

"What in tarnation is going on?"

Jessie let Grant and Evelyn know they should think of another plan for Ruffles. The dog was trained to assist the blind and would need a blind owner soon. Bobby's next-door neighbor, Mary, overheard the argument and offered to help. Mary had two young sons who loved dogs.

"We can look after Ruffles in the meantime, no problem," she suggested. An hour later, Mary's sons, James & Andrew, started playing with Ruffles in the front yard of their house.

Feeling frustrated and embarrassed, Bobby listened to the radio while mumbling under his breath. Bobby picked up his cane and went outside for a walk to prove that he could fulfill his doctor's wishes on his own.

Up the road, a car came driving just as Bobby was crossing the street. Noticing this, James & Andrew realized that he was in danger.

"MISTER BOBBY, WATCH OUT!" the boys shouted in unison.

Ruffles immediately ran across the street towards Bobby, pushing him onto the lawn across the road as the car came to a screeching halt.

Ruffles had made it just in time to save Bobby's life. Oblivious to what had happened, Bobby scrambled and searched for his cane. "What in tarnation is going on?" he asked. James and Andrew came running across the street to help Bobby to his feet.

"Mister Bobby, Mister Bobby! Ruffles, he saved your life. This car was about to hit you, and Ruffles pushed you out of the way," Andrew explained. The driver of the car rushed out to apologize to Bobby. James and Andrew ran to tell Jessie what had happened.

A little while later, Jessie, Grant, and Evelyn rushed over to find Bobby sitting with Ruffles. Bobby was petting Ruffles as the dog licked his face. "Dad, what happened?" Jessie asked. "To be honest, maybe I was wrong about Ruffles. This mutt pretty much saved my life. I'll have to keep him around just like you said," Bobby replied.

"You know what we always say, Grant: Family first, neighbors second."

Jessie turned to Grant and Evelyn, clearly stunned. Bobby rarely changed his mind, let alone in the space of an hour. Bobby thanked Jessie and his neighbors for the thoughtful gift. The story was the talk of Anchor Ave for weeks.

Soon after, Grant and Evelyn hosted a barbeque at their house. Everyone on the street attended. Mary brought her sons James and Andrew along. But much to everyone's surprise, Jessie arrived alongside Bobby and Ruffles.

"Well, look who it is!" Grant exclaimed. Bobby rarely attended neighborhood events, but this time he arrived with a smile on his face.

"You know what we always say, Grant: Family first, neighbors second," Bobby responded as the neighbors cheered.

From that day on, Bobby wasn't as grumpy as before and would often visit neighbors on his walks. He even let James and Andrew play with Ruffles as he passed Mary's house.

What can we learn from this story?

• Love thy neighbor. Despite Bobby being anti-social, his neighbors tried to help, and that help ended up saving his life.
• Safety first. If Bobby had been more cautious from the get-go, his life wouldn't have been put in danger to begin with.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who hears his dog barking from afar and finds it sitting near an abandoned baby.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.