When the Family Dog Doubles as a Lifesaver

Stories about heroic dogs abound everywhere. Dogs are shown to be constant companions to their human owners. However, you may be surprised that their heroics extend far beyond their human counterparts. For some inspiration here are stories about heroic dogs.

• The 2006 Dog of the Year award was given to Honey when she saved her owner from a violent car accident. When the SUV they were riding in rolled over, Honey's owner, Michael Bosch, found himself trapped and knew his dog was his only hope. Using what was left of his strength, he managed to release the dog, and hope that she would somehow find help. The then 5-month-old English Cocker Spaniel got the attention of a man, about a half-mile away and brought him to the scene of the accident. Rescuers concluded that had it not been for this, Bosch certainly would have died.
• Many people think that dogs are only heroic toward humans, but that is certainly not so. Take the case of, Napoleon, the English bulldog who defied the poor swimming skills of his breed to swim deep out into a lake and rescue a burlap sack containing 6 abandoned kittens! While two of the kittens didn't make it, the other four were nursed back to health, leading to a hero's welcome for Napoleon back at the local adoption center.
• Hero, a four-year-old Golden Retriever, was credited with saving a paralyzed man who got his wheelchair stuck in the middle of a muddy field. When Gareth Jones found he was unable to move, the former soldier's service dog was ready to answer the call, dutifully pulling the rope Jones threw to him, until the wheelchair was pulled free.
• The Stillman Award for bravery was given to a Rottweiler named Eve, who helped her paraplegic owner Kathie escape from a burning, smoldering truck. Upon pulling Kathie out, Eve then proceeded to drag her to a nearby ditch, just far enough away to avoid the explosion of her vehicle.
• Together with police officer James Symington, Trakr helped dig through some 30 feet of unstable debris at the World Trade Center Ground Zero site and locate the last human survivor of the attack. The dog's bravery was so celebrated that he is going to be cloned for use in other police rescue forces!
• Shelby became the 45th Skippy Dog Hero of the Year for saving two adults and two children, from carbon monoxide poisoning. The dog, with her keen sense of smell, was the first to detect the rising CO levels while the rest of the family was asleep. She nudged each of them out of their sleep and refused to stop barking, scratching and whining until the family was safely outside. Luckily, each family member was treated at a nearby hospital and made a full recovery.
• The 2001 "Dog Hero of the Year" honors went to Blue, an Australian Blue Heeler who saved his 85-year-old owner, Ruth Gay, from an alligator attack behind her home. Ms. Gay had fallen while walking Blue and when a nearby gator lumbered over, threatening to attack, Blue then charged into action and sparred with the gator long enough to scare it away. Happily, both Gay and Blue made full recoveries, and Blue was awarded with doggie treats, cash and a specially engraved Dog Hero food bowl.
• Blue's runner up to the 2001 award was Patty, a Yellow Lab Retriever who saved her owner from drowning while on a winter duck hunting excursion. After Ray Fogg's boat capsized and dumped both of them into frigid North Atlantic waters, Patty allowed him to grab hold of her tail while she vigorously doggy-paddled against the powerful current. They successfully made it all the way to the nearest land, where they were rescued by game wardens later on that evening.

« Homeopathic Remedies for Dog Sneezing | Only Dog Beds | What You Should Know About Organic Dog Food »