Posts tagged "HeroDog"

Her legs may only be a few inches long, but Missy the dachshund proved that she can run like the wind -- when she has to.

Her owner Charlie Burdon, who had recently had heart surgery, collapsed inside his Oregon home last week. Missy, who was in the yard, immediately sensed something was awry, ABC2 news in Baltimore, Md. reports.

Normally, the 11-year-old dachshund never leaves her yard unless Burdon is with her. But this time, she sprinted across the street to the home of neighbor Charles Mitchell, who was working outside.

Mitchell told Missy to head home, but the loyal pooch refused to budge. Finally, he began following the little dog. "Missy was right in front of me, letting me know something was wrong inside that house," Mitchell told the Associated Press. When he arrived, he found Burdon and quickly called the paramedics.

It turned out that Burdon had been overcome by a severe case of vertigo. He's now doing fine -- thanks to Missy. "It's remarkable that you can put your trust into your dog" says Burdon. More evidence that good things come in small packages.

Just like in an episode of "Lassie," this hero dog led police to the scene of a fire and helped save his family.

Buddy, a German shepherd, was with his owner, Ben Heinrichs, when his family's workshop caught fire. Once he and Buddy were safely outside, Heinrichs turned to the dog and said, "We need to get help." He didn't expect Buddy to actually do anything about it, of course. However, help is exactly what the shy dog brought -- in the form of an Alaska State Trooper, reports the Anchorage Daily News. The dog's heroic act was caught on the trooper's dashboard camera.

Buddy had gone off into the woods, and Heinrich assumed the pooch was hiding. In fact, Buddy had run out to the road, where he caught the attention of Alaska State Trooper Terrence Shanigan, who had been alerted by concerned neighbors when they saw a fireball erupting in the distance. Shanigan was having difficulty finding the fire due to the winding country roads. That's when Buddy suddenly appeared. On a hunch, Shanigan followed the dog and arrived on the scene just in time. He was able to talk the fire department through the difficult directions, and they put out the flames just before the fire spread to the family's home.

Buddy is being presented with an award from the Alaska State Troopers today, including a silver plated, engraved dog bowl, reports "Today" via the Associated Press. We're willing to bet he's getting more than a few extra cuddles and dog biscuits.

Kenai, a Bernese mountain dog mix was named "Dog of Valor" by the Humane Society of the United States' for alerting her family to a potentially deadly carbon monoxide leak.

This hero dog, who lives with her family in Erie, Colo., beat out nine other finalists for the national honor. The award recognizes dogs that exhibit "an extraordinary sense of courage or resolve by heroically helping persons in need," according to the HSUS.

Last winter, 14-year-old Kenai seemed more tired than usual after a day outdoors with her family in the mountains of Colorado's Western Slope. Kenai's owner, Todd Smarr, tells Paw Nation he thought she might have played too hard in the snow. But later that evening, after Smarr and his wife, Michelle, had settled down for the night in the basement of the vacation house they were renting with friends, Kenai began to whine and bark.

As Smarr tried to comfort Kenai, his friend Karen Hull who was also staying in the vacation home, got up and announced she was feeling ill. Smarr woke his wife Michelle to help, and moments later she collapsed in his arms. Smarr rushed to wake the rest of their friends and evacuate the house. The seven adults, two children and four dogs all escaped serious injury, although Michelle and Karen both required treatment in a hyperbaric chamber after being airlifted to a Denver hospital. They later learned the source of the carbon monoxide leak was the vacation home's oven.

Without the early warning from Kenai, Todd doubts that any of the house's inhabitants would have survived the night. Kenai is taking her newfound celebrity in stride. In addition to wining the "Dog of Valor" award, she was honored by the American Humane Association and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation.

"She's the same compassionate and loving dog as always," says Smarr, who is using the experience to remind people of the importance of installing carbon monoxide detectors.

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

Animals Snuggling Animals We dare you to resist the allure of cuteness squared! [via Pet Sugar]

Dog Saves Mother from Traffic Fierce canine loyalty saves two dogs from oncoming cars. [via ABC]

Synchronized Sleeping Snoozing piglets collectively move at every sound. [via Buzzfeed]

Bunnies Opening Letters The definitive collection of rabbits-turned-letter-openers. [via Urlesque]

Handmade Coats for Guinea Pigs Haven't you heard? They're all the rage in Reikjavik. [via Urlesque]