We have always known and talked
about dogs and their bravery. We have
also talked about their undying loyalty, heroism and their faithfulness. We know that dogs would go up to any heights
to save their masters. Dogs are just
like humans when it comes to emotions.
From feeling awestruck and happy to dismal and protective, they have
this uncanny ability to be heroic and save people. These dogs are filled with
selflessness and the amount of loyalty and intelligence that they possess will
shock you.
If you’ve ever had the privilege to spend time with one, you
will know that this reputation is based on truth. Here are a few listings of these unbelievable
canines and their amazing stories of their bravery, heroism and sweetness.
In this list, certainly, one who stands alone is a brave blind
dog named Norman, who didn’t
let his lack of sight prevent him from saving a child in
distress, who with his
devil-may-care-attitude to his own life, deserves to top
the honors.
NORMAN - A Blind dog.
Norman, a blind Labrador
Retriever, often loved to run on the beach with his owner, Annette. He loved the freedom of the beach because it
was the only safe public place where he could run free. So he didn't think
twice when he heard the girl cry for help in the water. Despite the blindness,
Norman raced into the water to save a little girl who was drowning.
Listening to her
screams, Norman found her and gently guided her safely to shore. The brave dog
didn't let his lack of sight prevent him from saving a child in distress.
Norman saves a drowning girl.
Loyal Until the End - BOBBY
Bobby, a little Skye Terrier,
lived happily in Scotland with his owner during the mid-1800s. Unfortunately Bobby’s owner, John Gray, died
in 1858, leaving little Bobby all alone.
The day after the burial, they noticed a little dog lying on
the grave - it was Bobby. They chased him away, but Bobby returned the following
morning. And he kept coming back. Every day.
Day in and day out. In the rain. Despite the cold, he came back to lie on his
master's grave.
Taking pity on the small dog, they let him stay.
For the next 14 years, Bobby stayed at his master's grave,
only leaving each day at 1 p.m. for his meal.
When Bobby eventually died, he was buried in the churchyard
and given his own headstone, which read:
GREYFIARS BOBBY
DIED 14th JANUARY 1872
AGED 16 YEARS
LET HIS LOYALTY & DEVOTION
BE A LESSON TO US ALL
Erected by the Dog Aid Society of Scotland
& unveiled by H.R.N. The Duke Of Gloucester CCVO on 13th May 1881
People have always seemed to
have a soft spot for heroic dogs. Whether its TV classics like Lassie or
heart-warming family films like Homeward Bound, the idea of dogs rescuing their
human masters (or even complete strangers) captures our love and affection as
few other things do. So it's only natural to love hearing about dogs who save
people in real life! Here are some true accounts of dogs who saved people from
perilous circumstances
MOTI
2007's Dog of the Year winner was Moti, the five year
old German Shepherd who literally took a bullet for
his human family. When a masked intruder made his way into the Patel household,
Moti wasted little time, leaping to his feet and barking to draw the gunman's
attention. Faced with the angry pooch, the gunman shot him and ran off without
harming any of the Patels. Luckily, this furry hero is making a full recovery!
HONEY
Honey was the 2006 Dog of the Year, an award she earned by
saving her owner from a violent car accident. When she and Michael Bosch found
their SUV rolled over and stuck upside down in a deep ravine, Bosch was trapped
and knew that Honey was his only hope. With all his strength, he managed to
release the dog and hope that she would somehow find help. Sure enough, 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 would have died.
HERO
In a truly heartwarming story, 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 himself 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.
EVE
Everyone
loves those heart-pounding movie scenes where the hero escapes a burning pit
seconds before it explodes, but it's not so fun in real life. That's what Kathie, a paralyzed paraplegic,
learned when her Rottweiler (Eve) pulled her by the ankles from
her burning, smoldering truck. Upon pulling Kathie out, Eve
proceeded to drag her to a nearby ditch, just far enough away to avoid the
explosion of her vehicle.
After firemen
cleared the scene, Eve was awarded the Stillman Award for her bravery.
TRAKR & JAMES SYMINGTON
Trakr owns arguably the most prestigious rescue on this
list. 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!
Most people
wouldn't dare to go one-on-one with an alligator, but that's exactly what Blue
did to take home 2001 "Dog Hero of the Year" honors. The Australian Blue Heeler saved Ruth Gay, his 85 year old owner, from an
alligator attack behind
her home. Reportedly, Ms. Gay had fallen
while walking Blue. When a nearby gator lumbered over, threatening to attack,
Blue charged into action and sparred with the gator long enough to scare it
away. Both Gay and Blue made full recoveries, and blue was awarded with doggie
treats, cash, and a specially engraved Dog Hero food bowl.
NEO
This 11 month old Siberian husky earned his hero stripes by
getting human help for his imperiled owner, Marci Snead. When Snead (a diabetic with fibromyalgia and
rheumatoid arthritis) went into hypoglycemic shock, Neo ran to the nearest
building. There, he grabbed the
attention of several people who followed Neo back to where Snead had
fallen. Within moments, an ambulance was
called and the women carted off to a nearby hospital, where she recovered completely.
In a nearly unbelievably story titled "Dog Makes Cell Phone Call to Save Owner's Life",
readers learn about Belle, a beagle who literally bit "911" into
Kevin Weaver's cell phone after the diabetic man collapsed from a seizure. Said Weaver, "there's no doubt in my
mind that I'd be dead if I didn't have Belle", who became the first canine
to win VITA's Wireless Samaritan Award.
Evidently, the pooch had been trained to bite down on the phone's keypad
in the event of an emergency!
SASHA
An Army sniffer dog who died in the Afghanistan battlefield
alongside her heroic handler has been awarded the animal equivalent of the
Victoria Cross.
The courageous canine and young soldier faced the horrors of
war together. Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe, 24, and Sasha, a four-year-old
yellow Labrador, also died together in a Taliban ambush in July 2008 when they
were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Their memory was honored earlier this week when the brave
dog was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
She became the 65th animal to be awarded the honorary medal,
which has also been given to cats, horses and birds who have served alongside
humans.
PEARL
This floppy-eared homeless pooch turned search-and-rescue
dog was sent to Japan to search for
survivors after the country's earthquake and tsunami. Pearl's shelter-to-hero story was captured in
a children’s book, A New Job for Pearl.
ZANJEER
26th November, 2008, a series of twelve bombs detonated throughout the city of
Mumbai leaving 257 dead and 713 injured.
According to Reuters, thousands
of lives were saved thanks to a brave golden labrador named Zanjeer. The heroic canine detected more
than 3,329 kgs of explosive RDX, 600 detonators, 249 hand grenades, and 6,406
rounds of live ammunition. Zanjeer, a
treasured member of the Mumbai Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, also
helped avert other potential explosions by detecting three more bombs in the
days following the initial blasts.
Zanjeer died of bone cancer at the age of eight years and
was buried with full police honors. His
story still captures many hearts.
Bronco lunged at the Taliban
sniper, sinking his teeth into his torso. The enemy aimed his AK-47 at him and
the bullet shattered his nose.
Expecting a severe head wound, Mariana found his dog sitting around the corner of a building. He had been hit in the face by the bullet that entered one side of his mouth and dissolved the right side of his muzzle shattering nose bone and fracturing teeth.
While waiting for Medevac to airlift the severely wounded Bronco to a hospital in Kandahar, Sgt John Mariana held him in his arms.
On landing there was no waiting
ambulance. Mariana pulled the dog up onto his shoulders and ran with Bronco to
the main hospital.
After a five-hour surgery, Bronco
was stable and the prognosis was good but the dog and Mariana were being
transferred to Bagram, one of the largest US bases in the country. En route,
Mariana held the dog’s head on his chest and held his mouth open so he could
breathe.
Two more surgeries replaced
sections of the dog’s nose and Mariana never left his side. More surgery was
required back in the States and throughout the ordeal, Mariana was heartsick
separated from the dog that had saved his life.
For five months, he fought to get
Bronco back. When finally reunited, Mariana held his dog - whose nose now
whistled like a tea-kettle - and cried like a baby.
‘He didn’t work for me out of fear
of me correcting him. He worked for me because he loved me and I love him. And
I really believe that he knew that’, Mariana said.
Handlers agreed that the dogs on service
missions acted as a talisman and protected them from unforeseen horrors as well
as dispelling any loneliness. A true
bond of love and friendship.
MINI
She does not carry a gun, nor does she speak. But she has a
nose unlike anyone in the battlefield – and her heroics during a
counter-terrorism operation landed her one of India’s distinguished awards.
She is Mini, a black
Labrador retriever and a soldier’s best friend. Mini’s bravery resulted in
receiving an award on India’s Independence Day [August 15] 2010. She is one of
several hundreds of dogs that serve the Indian Army
A member of the explosives
detection wing of the 20 Army Dog Unit, Mini received the Chief of Army Staff's
commendation card for sniffing out two IEDs [improvised explosive devices] in
the jungles of the Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, during a
counter-terrorism operation in 2009. Mini and her handler, Devi Dayal,
participated in the operation conducted by Rashtriya Rifles [RR], an Army
anti-terror force, at Haryana Ridge area on March 13, 2009. Two camouflaged
bombs could have killed soldiers had she not found the explosive devices.
Mini is not the only hero, there
are many other dogs in the Indian Army and their awe inspiring heroic stories.
People have always seemed to
have a soft spot for heroic dogs. They captures our love and affection as few other
things do. After watching this video, captured on a busy highway in
Chile, even you’ll agree that Animals are better than Humans.
How many times have you seen humans risk their lives to
help?
Dogs didn't become ‘Man’s Best Friend’
for no reason.
They give us their unconditional love
every day.
Do we deserve it?
It’s time we return the favor.
SAVE A LIFE,
ADOPT A HOMELESS DOG.
