A teenager from South Africa told Newsweek how her beloved pet is not only her service dog, but also a skilled protector.

In a video which gained viral attention on InstagramLevi Grace Oosthuizen shared how her dog Bruce responded to a potentially dangerous situation while they were walking. Oosthuizen noticed a man following him for an alarming amount of time, and when he stopped to tie his shoelaces, he decided to start recording on his phone in case things escalated.

But then Bruce came in. Sensing the man approaching, he approached his owner and began to bark, preventing the stranger from approaching.

Like a service dog trained in personal protection, Bruce’s reaction was instinctive but controlled – barking to create distance without any physical aggression.

A 3-year-old American Staffordshire terrier, Bruce’s skills go beyond personal protection. “He is a medical and psychiatric alert service dog. He has many different tasks that he performs to help me with my disabilities. I suffer from POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and even though they are invisible disabilities, they still have a massive impact on my life,” said Oosthuizen Newsweek.

Daily, Bruce alerts Oosthuizen to “fainting and panic attacks coming on” and helps with certain mobility tasks and guides when his owner is dizzy or disoriented. It also helps create space in congested areas; bring medicine; open the doors; and makes sure no one touches her if she becomes unconscious. Bruce’s protective training gives his owner an added sense of security when I’m out.

“There were several times when I walked alone and suspicious people tried to approach me, but the fact that Bruce follows them and barks if they get too close was enough to deter them,” Oosthuizen said.

She shared the moment on Instagram, where it has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. She hoped it would raise awareness of the value of a trained protection dog.

In South Africa, where Oosthuizen and Bruce live, it is legal to have a service dog trained for protection. In the US, while it is generally legal to own a protection dog, there are restrictions and rules can differ from state to state when it comes to licensing and mandatory training.

“I wanted to share that video to raise awareness of the dangerous situations women find themselves in as they simply go about our daily lives,” Oosthuizen said. “I’m really glad that Bruce takes his training seriously and reacted the way he did because he definitely saved me from a potentially life-threatening situation.”