Hero Dog Gozier with owner Dan Dan DiCandilo - Ashland neighbor and Edward Jones Financial Advisor
On Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m., the Town of Ashland will pause during its regular Council Meeting to honor an unlikely hero — a loyal golden companion whose instincts saved a life on a bitter winter morning.
The ceremony will take place in the Council Meeting Chambers at Ashland Town Hall, 121 Thompson Street. Ashland neighbor and Edward Jones Financial Advisor Dan DiCandilo will be present — along with a life-size photo of the town’s newest four-legged legend, Gozier.
For nine years, Dan and Gozier have followed the same morning ritual.
“Gozier and I go for a walk every morning at quarter seven — we’ve done it for nine years,” Dan shared. “We walk over nine thousand miles.”
Through snow, rain, sun, and even frigid temperatures, the routine never breaks.
“It was fifteen degrees out that day, but she doesn’t care. She’ll go out in snow, rain, sun — whatever it is.”
On that particular morning, about 15 to 20 minutes into their walk, something changed.
Historic Downtown Ashland, Virginia in snow
“She started barking wildly — and the bark had a cry to it. I’ve never heard it before.”
Gozier was fixated on a nearby home. Dan looked carefully.
“I don’t see a cat. I don’t see a dog. I don’t see people. I don’t see anything. So I told her, ‘Come on, let’s go,’ and she wouldn’t go. She was pulling toward the house over and over and over.”
Then he noticed it — what appeared at first to be nothing more than a small pile of snow near the front steps.
“It didn’t look like anything… but that’s what she was barking at.”
As they moved closer, the truth came into focus.
“We noticed that it was a woman. She was definitely struggling — non-responsive, I would say, barely hanging on. No gloves, no hat, no shoes. Just stocking feet. She was in a white robe, which camouflaged her in with the snow, so you couldn’t see her.”
Dan immediately called 911 and rang the homeowners’ doorbell. All the while, Gozier stayed by the woman’s side.
“The whole time, Gozier’s was barking in her ear, trying to get her up.”
The homeowners confirmed the woman was not from their household. Emergency responders arrived quickly and transported her for medical care.
“From what I understand, her body temperature was seventy-eight degrees,” Dan said. “The homeowner’s Ring camera saw her out there at 4:15, so she was out in that weather with hardly anything covering her for three hours before we walked by.”
Then came the realization.
“If it wasn’t for Gozier, I would have never stopped — because I didn’t see anything.”
In a town known for neighbors looking out for one another, this act of instinct and persistence stands as a powerful reminder that sometimes heroes don’t wear capes — they wear collars.
On March 3, the Town of Ashland will officially recognize Gozier’s lifesaving action and celebrate the bond between a man, his dog, and a community that believes in showing up for one another.