Heroes Who Bark

At Pets In Need and other animal adoption centers, the staff, volunteers, adopters and donors help save the lives of dogs every day. Sometimes the roles get reversed. That’s right; there are many examples of dogs performing heroic deeds to save humans’ lives!

Ralph, a stray Retriever-Pit mix, arrived dramatically in the midst of a ravaging hurricane in Florida. One night Ralph started barking and wouldn’t be quiet. Finally, he grabbed the front of the mother’s robe and pulled her outside and to the end of the house. The whole underside of the house was on fire! Ralph had been had been franticly digging trying to put it out by himself. Ms. Allemang said, “He taught us one thing – never ignore your animals. To this day we thank God for our heaven-sent miracle.”

Little dogs can be big heroes, too. Havan, a ten-pound Chihuahua was rescued from the pound by the Harris family and returned the favor by defending 2-year-old Sean from a poisonous water moccasin. Lisa Harris was picking pecans with Sean in Boston, Georgia, when a 3-1/2 foot snake bit the back of the little boy’s jeans. Lisa froze in horror but Havan darted toward the snake, grabbed its head and yanked it loose. “She just kept pulling and pulling until she got it off,” Ms. Harris said. The snake left two puncture wounds in Sean’s upper thigh but did not inject any venom. Havan, the little hero, made sure of that!

Eighty-three-year-old Ruth Gay was walking Blue, her Heeler, along the canal in the backyard of her Ft. Myers, Florida home when she slipped and fell. Ms. Gay sustained injuries that left her helpless for hours. Blue lay down next to her, comforting her. He then suddenly jumped up, bared his teeth and took off into the gathering darkness. There was thrashing in the bushes, and Ms. Gay could hear Blue yelp in pain. Her dog returned to her side, standing guard before charging off again. The sound of battle continued, and then Blue was silent. Finally, Ms. Gay’s daughter and son-in-law returned. They were met by a wet and distraught dog who led them to Ruth Gay. Ms. Gay was treated and released from the hospital. Blue was taken to the vet where his thirty puncture wounds gave eloquent testimony to his victorious battle with one of the three 6 – 12 foot alligators that had been seen in the canal earlier in the day.

Mr. Lee adopted Kaze from a public shelter just a few days before he was going to be killed. Recognizing the dog's exceptional abilities, he enrolled Kaze in the state's search and rescue training program. Kaze’s first assignment was to find a woman reported missing by her family. Kaze led Mr. Lee and rescuers to a bridge near the San Pablo Dam, just north of Orinda, where he found the missing woman who was immediately rushed to the hospital where she remained in a coma for almost a week. She has since recovered and is back at home with her family.

It is widely accepted that animals in our lives relieve stress, lower blood pressure and contribute to a generally better lifestyle for humans. These stories show what can happen when the canine comes to the aid of the human! Similar stories and additional details about these stories can be found on the Internet at http://dogsinthenews.com/index.htm . If your pet is a hero, I’d love to know your story. Please write to me at Pets In Need.

 
Founded in 1965, Pets In Need receives no federal, state or local government support.

Published in the San Mateo County Times, June 22, 2002