Flemish giant rabbit Dory alerted owner during diabetic coma, he says

A man said his Flemish giant rabbit, Dory, saved him from a diabetic coma in 2004 after she alerted his then wife when he began to lose consciousness while they were watching TV.

He first encountered Flemish giants at TruckFest in Peterborough in 2002 and brought Dory home as a baby in a cat carrier; she grew to nearly 10kg and was walked on a leash. Dory had a large appetite — carrots, white cabbage, savoy cabbage, hay, dandelions, milk thistle and pellets — and, as a house rabbit, also chewed through computer cables, furniture and once the hose of a pressure washer.

According to the owner, Dory "climbed on to my body and went nuts", jumping up and down, thumping on his chest and licking his face, which prompted his then wife to phone 999. He said he could not be sure how Dory knew — "some people say that pets can sense when their owners are sick" — but that without her actions he would not be alive to tell the story.

After the coma Dory featured in the local Hunts Post and in national outlets; an invitation to appear on morning TV was declined because producers said they could not provide accommodation for a giant house rabbit in London. Dory was made the first ever honorary animal member of the Rabbit Welfare Association, enjoyed a short retirement and died suddenly at two years old, leaving the owner with physical reminders such as chewed carpet and skirting boards and a promise to live on in her memory.

Key Topics

Culture, Dory, Flemish Giant Rabbit, Truckfest, Peterborough, Rabbit Welfare Association