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Teen’s Service Dog Makes It To Semifinals Of Hero Awards

Posted at 9:21 AM, May 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-24 18:32:49-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – Four years ago in Lexington, a nine-year-old boy was shot in the head while riding in a vehicle with his family.

Many of our LEX 18 viewers got personally involved in making sure that Antonio Reese got a service dog by donating and sharing the story. “Alice” has been doing her job and is moving to the semi-finals of the “Hero Dog Awards.”

Antonio is now 13-years-old and he is doing remarkably well. His life was forever changed because of the shooting that happened back in 2015. Thanks to his service dog, Alice, Reese has come a long way.

For two-and-a-half years, Alice has been by Antonio’s side alerting his family to his possibly life-threatening seizures.

“If it wasn’t for Alice and the fact she alerts every single time, never skipped an alert Antonio probably wouldn’t be with us today. If he falls and hits the side of his head with the artificial flap we could lose him. She’s never skipped an alert..never not one…she’s done what she’s meant to do,”  Reese’s mother Tara Murillo told LEX 18.

Alice is up for the American Humane’s Hero Dog Award. She received enough votes last month to move on to the semifinals.

You can vote for Alice once a day.

“‘She’s saved my life with a lot of stuff. If I’m about to have a seizure she whines about it and warns people,” says Reese.