Spotlight On Emmy the Labrador: YouTube Star, Local Hero, Dedicated Service Dog

Accidental YouTube star, disciplined service dog, local hero… Emmy the Labrador has many sides. This versatile pup is taking the internet by storm, with thousands of people tuning in to watch her daily routines. But she’s also a highly trained working dog and expert traveler who is always cool under pressure.

Emmy’s owner, Russell, is a disabled veteran, and Emmy is trained as a service dog. Russell describes her as goofy, fun-loving, and expressive, but she is also a dependable service dog who has traveled with him to countries like Mexico and Guatemala. Let’s take a closer look at this exceptional dog!

Emmy the YouTube Star

Emmy the Labrador ringing the doorbell — Emmy ringing the doorbell | Image courtesy of Russell

Russell adopted Emmy, who is now seven years old, at eight weeks. But it wasn’t until 18 months ago that she became a viral YouTube star. Russell traces the roots of her stardom to one of Emmy’s favorite activities: running to their neighbor’s house for treats. When their neighbor, Linda Rose, didn’t answer the door one day, Emmy scratched on the door in excitement. Wanting to avoid damage (and teach Emmy an adorable new trick), Russell decided to install a doorbell just for her. He uploaded a video showing how he trained her, and the rest is history.

Well, except for the other half of her YouTube channel, Emmythelab, which is all about Kristy the Mail Lady. In classic Labrador fashion, Emmy enjoys waiting for and being greeted by (and treated by) postal workers. Russell started filming and posting daily videos of this routine, too, and the channel quickly grew to its current popularity: 100 million views and over 160,000 subscribers.

Emmy the Local Hero

Life isn’t all viral videos for Emmy; occasionally, she has to save the day, too. One night, as she and Russell were sleeping, a neighbor’s house caught on fire. She leapt out of bed and alerted Russell to the fire. He called 911, and the rapid response kept more houses from burning.

As Russell described the aftermath, “After it was under control, the firefighters thanked me for being the first to call, but I told them the truth—it was Emmy who woke me up. No one was home in the house that caught fire, and the fire department said Emmy’s alert likely prevented other homes from burning and may have saved lives.”

In the end, Emmy’s lifesaving alert earned her a commendation from the Orange County Fire Authority.

Emmy at Home

Emmy the Lab portrait in the woods — Image credit: @abrilperexphotography, April Perez

In addition to being a disciplined service dog, Emmy is a classically food-motivated Labrador. She enjoys meeting neighborhood dogs and frequenting the local businesses that keep treats behind the counter.

As Russell says, “I feel really lucky to have a dog that’s both wildly entertaining and genuinely life-changing. She’s the full package.”

What a special dog!

Your Turn!

Do you know any extra-special, heroic dogs? There’s still time to nominate them for the American Humane Society’s Hero Dog Awards! And if you know a dog who would make a great feature, leave us a comment below.

Featured image courtesy of Russell