‘She’s like no other’: Ashland dog recognized for life-saving rescue

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Dan DiCandilo and his dog Gozier enjoy daily walks around Ashland each morning, no matter the weather. So it was no surprise that the two were out for a walk during one of last month's coldest days, when they came across something unusual.

"That was a rough morning," said DiCandilo. "That was 15 degrees. You know, if she wasn't standing by the door, looking out the window, I probably wouldn't have gone but she really doesn't care how cold it is,"

About 20 minutes into their walk along Henry Clay Road, DiCandilo said Gozier began to bark wildly.

"The bark was a different bark in that it had a little bit of a cry to it," he said. "I tried to pull her. I said, 'come on, Gozier, let's go', and she resisted."

DiCandilo realized her attention was fixated on what appeared to be a pile of snow in front of a home, but a closer look proved otherwise.

"It was a woman in a white robe, and she was barely moving, really struggling," DiCandilo said.

He immediately called 911, and later learned that the woman lived next door to the home where she was found. He said she had been out in the cold for three hours and had a body temperature of 78 degrees.

"The woman had Alzheimer's and was known to try to walk out of the house in the middle of the night," he said.

DiCandilo said the woman was released from the hospital after a few days.

He said word spread about the rescue and he later received a call from the Town of Ashland, to honor Gozier during its council meeting on Tuesday evening.

Dan and Gozier head out for their daily walk. (Photo: 8News)

DiCandilo said he's proud of Gozier and grateful that he listened.

"If you see something out there that doesn't look right, don't ignore it." DiCandilo said "I think that's the moral of this story. I would have ignored it if it wasn't for Gozier, and, you know, something, much worse could have happened."