Angela May Weaver and Outlaw were meant to be paired together. Angela may have adopted Outlaw, but she says he’s the one who ultimately saved her life.
The tragic story that brought them together
Angela adopted Outlaw shortly after she was involved in a home invasion in Salton City, California in May of 2016. Three men were taken into custody for allegedly beating Angela and three other people, taking the life of one of them. The men were reportedly charged with suspicion of murder, conspiracy, burglary, and other charges, according to The Desert Sun.
“I was beaten up pretty badly, my best friend was murdered and my daughter was with us,” Angela said.
The attack left Angela with a broken nose, fractured jaw, post-traumatic epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She even needed facial reconstruction surgery to recover completely.
“I knew I was going to need a dog, a bigger dog to help me,” Angela explained.
How Angela saved Outlaw’s life
Angela found a man who was looking to place his newborn puppies in forever homes and Outlaw was one of them.
“He was lovin’ on me immediately,” she said. “It was an immediate bond.”
Angela took Outlaw home at 8 weeks and started training him right away. Outlaw is now able to detect when Angela is going to have a seizure.
“He gets really upset before I even know!” she told me.
And he doesn’t just alert her to the oncoming attack; Outlaw can help with the symptoms of it as well. He’s become a very important part of her life.
“He will lay on whatever part of my body is shaking. He’s getting pretty good at doing that,” Angela said of her pup.
Outlaw also picks up on her anxiety and stays really close when she’s feeling anxious. This incredibly smart pooch has even learned how to open sliding doors.
“If he watches us do stuff, he turns around and tries to do it himself,” Angela said.
Outlaw opens accessible doors but is still having a hard time with round door knobs. Angela says he still tries — with both paws.
How Outlaw saved Angela’s life
One day when Angela and Outlaw were driving in her car, he tried to jump on top of her and wouldn’t lay down like he normally does. When it became too difficult for her to drive, Angela pulled over. Moments later, she had a seizure. Outlaw’s abnormal behavior was a warning sign and one that may have saved Angela’s life.
Angela wanted to learn more about Outlaw and to take advantage of the health tests that Embark offers, so she sent in Outlaw’s DNA. Take a look at Outlaw’s Embark profile to see what this special guy is made of.
