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| Share your stories of devoted pets who've performed a heroic act here. |
Share your stories of devoted pets who've performed a heroic act here.
We all know stories of heroic pets: there’s Jarod the Chow Chow, who saved his owner from a black bear in BC; Shadow the cat, who saved her Calgary family from carbon monoxide poisoning; and Chips the mutt, World War II’s most decorated dog, who even had a movie based on his life.
You might even know a pet hero personally. Has a dog, cat, blue-and-gold macaw, potbellied pig, or other creature saved your life, or the life of someone you know? Or do you know a pet who makes a difference every day, perhaps as a service dog or therapy cat? Post your comments using the submission box below. They may be selected for inclusion in a future issue of Reader's Digest magazine.
All submissions are reviewed prior to posting. We will post as many comments as possible, though some may be edited for length and clarity.
Date: March 11, 2010
Name: Tracey Bloomfield
Comments:
There are only a few pure simple joys in life-but Skittles and Shamus are definately on my list!I have two pugs, Skittles and Shamus. They may not be heroes by your standards, but those two sweeties have gotten me through some tough times. When I am stressed out, they seem to realize it and stay close to me and cuddle. When I come home from a long day at work, I am greeted at the door by those two adorable wrinkly guys. They are always so happy to see me, those big brown soulful eyes make me melt and it"s "pug hugs" all around. There are only a few pure, simple joys in life, but Skittles and Shamus are definitely on my list!
Date: March 08, 2010
Name: Ralph Sabean
Comments:
We always had a dog while we grew up in the 1950's+ and I remember when I was a child perhaps eight or nine years old going to a small grade school in rural Port Wade, Annapolis County, N.S. We were a large family of twelve children and we always had cats and dogs but they were much more than pets; they were companions, friends and at times live savers. You see we depended on these wonderful animals (dogs) for our winter food supplies as well as other things necessary to survive in those hard pressed times.
The dog I'm referring to at this time was Spot and he was a terrier I believe but he was a wonderful bird dog. My older brothers would take him out on duck hunts and they often let me or my older brother Glendon tag along. We would see a diving duck near the water’s edge perhaps a hundred yards or more away along the shores of the Annapolis Basin near where we lived. Then we would watch the ducks as they dived and time how long they were under. Then the older brother Either Carl or Kenneth whomever was leading the hunting quarry tell us to hold the dog while they ran a short sprint and got down behind a rock or just lay flat on the beach.
Then we'd watch the duck come up and get its breath and when it dove again he would run a short sprint and hide. This was repeated until he got within shooting range of the duck and when it came up it would usually fly making an easy target to shoot with bird shot either #4 or $6 size shot.
Now it was the dogs turn so Glen or I would let the already anxious dog go and he would rush to the water and tear off and retrieve that duck and drop it at our feet and after we got a couple or so we would cut off a morsel for Spot to eat to keep up his strength. Along with that Spot would flush out Partridge and Pheasants so we used him and he was treated well because in those days the dog slept on the couch always and if you wanted to sleep on it you had to give him room or he would sleep on the foot of your bed and keep freezing feet warm.
This was very vital to us with a large family to get through the long hard winters back in those perilous years. I still remember the day old Spot died because I had just walked home from school wondering why he didn't come up the hill to meet me as he always did. This time it was not to be and there he was lying by the door where my dad had carried him after being hit by a car. I was so saddened by it that I stayed home from school the next day. With tear filled eyes and a grieving heart we dug a hole in our back yard and buried him and put a marker for his grave on it and said good-bye to a loyal friend.
Date: March 03, 2010
Name: Melanie
Comments:
Sadly, Sheba is now in heaven. But before she passed, many years ago, when our son was still a baby in a stroller, she saved his life and maybe mine too. I was strolling into our front yard after being downtown and parked the stroller with my son in it, by the front stoop, so I could rummage in my purse for my housekeys. Suddenly, I heard a growling coming from Sheba, my neighbour's golden-brown labrador retriever. I looked down towards the road and approaching at a dead-run straight towards my baby in the stroller was this monstrous black dog! Sheba uttered another of those deep throated growls and stepped in front of the stroller as this big, black monstrosity of a dog, barreled into her side! Sheba took the brunt of the attack and she somehow, pushed herself sideways into the other dog's way so he was being pushed back out towards the roadway. They met face to face in the middle of my lawn and I somehow managed to get my son out of the stroller and into the house. Then I went to the door and called Sheba inside. The other dog was gone by this time and Sheba wandered into the house, whereupon I immediately threw my arms around her! Not a mark was on her! She wasn't even our dog so this amazing feat of courage and protection on her part, means more to me every time I think about what she did for us that day! I miss her so much!
Mrs. Melanie Allen
Date: February 16, 2010
Name: Tamara Warner
Comments:
Shadow, the oldest one, decided to come into our home after livingOur two cats are my heroes; and I guess technically we are theirs also. with extremely abusive and neglectful owners before us.
Cookie on the other hand was rescued from our patio at the age of 1 month after her mother never returned from scavenging to bring back food. We believe her mother was killed. They have always shown how grateful and full of love they are for us, but I finally have seen just how protective they are of me.
I had a radical double mastectomy in November 2009 to help combat breast cancer at the relatively young age of 39. When I got home, Shadow sneaked out of the door to our yard. She never tries to leave, since she looks at Cookie as her baby. The only thing that makes sense is that, since Mom came home hurt, she was going to fend off the one who hurt me. For the first 24 hours after being home, she never left my feet; not even to eat. (And she LOVES her food.) My husband had to hand feed her. The only time she did leave was to use the litter box, and she sent Cookie up to watch Mom. After she figured I was all right, she went downstairs to sleep with Dad, and Cookie stayed with me. (I"m on the couch right now for safety sake.) Well, little Cookie is amazing also. Our little feral kitten, who doesn"t care for people, but loves her family, stays upstairs with me all night. If I"m moaning or whimpering in my sleep, she softly coos to me, and turns on her super loud purr to show me that I am ok. If I need to go downstairs in the middle of the night, she guides me by meowing on each individual step to let me know where she is.
They have always known that Mom was a bit "off," since I also have a bad case of MS (multiple sclerosis). I"ve had it for the whole time we have had them, so they know to watch when Mom is walking around them. They have stepped up their game lately though, and have really taken it upon themselves to look out for Mom. I wouldn"t have it any other way. *smiles*
Date: February 14, 2010
Name: Vel Boudreau
Comments:
When our son came home from a visit out in BC he brought with him a special gift to me, a beautiful little red point siamese kitten that we named Tiki. Tiki grew up to be a very loving cat, who would always sleep on my legs every night. My health is not very good and I am on a lot of medications. One night I had a reaction to some of the medications I take and slipped into a coma. Tiki saved my life that night by getting my youngest son"s attention. We fed Tiki in these small metal bowls that sit in a metal frame. When Tiki was low on food he would put his paw under the empty dish and * rattle * it. The noise it made would get us to come and investigate what he needed. The night I slipped into the coma Tiki ran out to his dishes (which were full) and started rattling them until my son came down to see what he needed. As soon as my son came into the living room he saw me and heard me gasping to breath and called 911 right away. We were told if he had not found me when he did I would have died. Tiki saved my life, he will always have a special place in our hearts and home.
Date: February 09, 2010
Name: Peter Pachecos
Comments:
A Tribute to a Faithful Friend ...
We were on a mission; the Calgary Humane Society was our first stop.
Tammy, my wife, was looking for a dog to fill a void left by the loss of her faithful buddy, Gus, a tiny Schnauzer she’d brought with her from North Dakota.
As we walked down rows of enclosures occupied by canines of all descriptions, big, small and in-between, we had our work cut out for us. We didn’t really know what kind of dog we were looking for. We just hoped something would turn up.
And there she was…
A forlorn German Shepherd-Lab sat in her stall and, as I approached her, she leant her head against the grill and invited me to scratch under her ears. I was in love.
"This is the one, Tammy," I exclaimed. Tammy quickly shared my enthusiasm and we decided to adopt her. In hindsight, I sincerely believe it was Honey who adopted us.
Apparently, she had two previous owners. The first, who had her as a pup, was transferred out of town and was obliged to part with her.
The second brought her back within a three days on grounds she was uncontrollably belligerent towards the other dogs in the household.
Indeed, the Humane Society people warned us to keep her on a tight leash; that she simply went berserk at the mere sight of another dog. They expressed grave doubts about her ability to fit into any home (she’d been earmarked for euthanasia) and suggested I spend some time with her on their premises just to make sure. However, we had already made up our minds. Henceforth our new family member was going to be known as Honey. Her original name was Sandy but she accepted her new name with characteristic grace.
Initially, she was a little afraid of me. She’d cringe little when I approached her. We put this down to her unpleasant dealings with her previous male owner. Subsequent events were to bear out this suspicion. We could only show her love and kindness and hope for the best.
For her part, Honey effortlessly became part of the family. She made friends easily and everyone took to her. She responded by doing everything she could to please. We only had to say ‘no!’ to her once. She stopped defecating in the yard after Tammy told her not to just once . She’d hold herself until I took her out in the back alley, which I did on a regular basis.
I’d be up at the crack of dawn to exercise her and, thus, walked into her first gift to me. With a pocketful of what I called honeybags, I wandered the neighbourhood with her, and, in doing so, got to know, see, appreciate and enjoy a variety everyday sights: carefully and beautifully manicured gardens, the scent of lavender - everyday things we tend to take for granted. Yes, life suddenly had a refreshingly new meaning. What’s more, the increased exercise helped me lose weight.
After she was satisfied I would never hurt her, Honey and I bonded; she’d follow me everywhere in the house. I’ll never really know why, but she decided I was her ‘dad’. She’d accept treats from anyone but would always have her eyes fixed on me.
Pooping was a special occasion for Honey. So much so, she reserved this ‘honour’ exclusively for me. Friends and neighbours would walk her once in a while but she’d wait for me to take her out before going. Indeed, all I had to say to her was, "Aren’t you going to poop for Daddy," and she would--just for me.
We took her with us everywhere. She enjoyed car-rides. Put another way, she loved napping on the back seat. She came to dances, restaurants and shopping sprees with us. We parked our car with the added assurance that no one was going to even think of breaking in, what with an 80+ pound dog in the backseat. Which brings me to the US consulate incident...
Honey and Free Speech
We were driving downtown with Honey, as usual, ruling the back seat. Traffic was particularly heavy this Saturday afternoon and we resigned ourselves to another feature of Calgary’s streets: interminable traffic delays. As we neared the US consulate, we stumbled on the reason for this traffic jam.
President Bush had recently made a decision to attack Iraq. Calgary’s unwashed, anti-American masses, along with a gruesome collection of half wits idiotized by their left-wing politics, were exercising their right to free speech at the Olympic Park adjoining the consulate building.
As luck would have it, the traffic snarl placed us a few yards from a demagogic speaker ranting and raving about US aggression. I stuck my head out of the window yelling anti-Saddam slogans. Heads turned. A large segment of saddamists surged towards the car, clearly intent on bashing me up. Obviously the concept of freedom of speech didn’t apply to me.
We were trapped; it didn’t help that our van bore US license plates. In paraphrasing Voltaire, I made one short prayer to G-d, "O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And He granted my wish.
It started as a low, menacing growl. I was startled--nay, terrified--as the sound increased to a primeval, ferocious and spine chilling snarl. And it came from behind me.
Honey deduced her Dad and Mum were in danger and decided to exercise her right to free expression. The sight of a huge, wolf-like, snarling, barking, frothing-at-the-mouth dog shocked the advancing crowd to a scatological standstill. Like the cowardly festering puswarts that they were, the mob retreated a safe distance and, aside from desultory curses and significant one-finger signals, clearly concluded it was safer to bash Bush.
We drove off as soon as it became possible but halted a couple of blocks away to take stock. Still shaking, we realized Honey’s uncharacteristic ferocity had just saved our skins. We hugged and kissed her over and over again; she happily accepted our praise before settling back to resume her nap. For our part, we were glad our dog shared not only our dislike for verbal sewage posing as human beings but also a distaste for unthinking apologists for Saddam Hussein’s terror and tyranny.
Honey and friends
It was in the course of our long walks, however, that Honey manifested her deep-rooted hatred for other dogs. Every time a dog happened along, she’d practically froth at the mouth and it was all I could do to keep her under control.
Then, I saw another facet of this fascinating friend. One morning, I was walking her down the alley and, as luck would have it, a neighbour walked by with his dog.
Honey went foaming-at-the-mouth crazy. She had to rip that dog’s throat out and I could barely control her. (Did I mention she was a German Shepherd-Lab--big and powerful?).
Suddenly, a gaggle of kids walked by on their way to school and Honey spotted them. Oy Vey. Talk about Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde!
In an instant, her expression changed from unbridled savagery to one of sheer pleasure. If I ever saw a dog smile, Honey was doing it right then. Her tail waving furiously, she just had to say hi! to the kids. She invited them to stroke her, which they did after a momentary hesitation. Soon, every kid in the neighbourhood knew Honey. She loved people but Honey had a special place in her heart for children.
She would have been perfect for sick kids, bringing a certain therapeutic joy along with her. It was touching to see how tolerant she was with children who’d pull at her ears and prod her. She’d practically roll over and invite them to rub her tummy.
Honey filled out beautifully--maybe too much so. In the loving environment she now became part of, Honey thrived.
I have never seen such an intelligent dog. She carried her toys around with her. If we sat out on the deck, she’d bring them along and sit in the midst of us. She’d follow us indoors at the end of the day but, at a command from Tammy to "pick up your junk!" she’d run back and carry her toys indoors. We could swear she understood every word we uttered.
Within a month of getting her, Tammy taught her to play dead. Tammy would point her finger at her, gun fashion, and yell, "Bang!" Honey would roll over on her side and lie still. There was the odd time when her tail would wave. "Dead dogs don’t wag," Tammy would admonish her and she’d lie rock-still until Tammy gave her permission to ‘live’ again.
Around three months after bringing her home, the Humane Society phoned. They were checking on the dog’s progress, fearing the worst. They were surprised and gratified to find out how happy Honey was with us and how happy we were with her. I’m sure they’d be scratching their heads if I sent them pictures of her happily co-existing with our other pets which, at one time, included 5 poodles and a ferret.
It took me about a year of walking Honey to realize what drove her to hate other dogs with such venom. It was fear. Despite her size and appearance, Honey was really very timid.
I started carrying dog treats in my pocket on our outings. Every time a dog happened by, I’d hold her to me, calm her down and give her a few treats. The results were miraculous. Within a few weeks, her antipathy for strange dogs was replaced with curiosity. In fact, she actually befriended them. Thanks to this ‘therapy’, I no longer needed to leash her on our walks. If that weren’t enough, she once brought home a stray dog. Yes, Honey really was special.
Pepito and Honey
Honey had another quality that set her apart. She was a truly good-natured. She accepted a newcomer to our home, Tilly, a thoroughbred Poodle, as well as Tilly’s (subsequent) pups.
In the Summer of 2007, Pepito entered her life and gave it a new lease. He was an ‘import’ from Mississippi.
Only two months old when he arrived, Pepito immediately sought out Honey and frolicked with her endlessly. Honey loved him and cheerfully allowed him to nibble her ears, and his tiny body to run up and down her massive frame. It was a touching sight: a lumbering 90-pound dog cavorting with a tiny 1-pound puppy.
Jessica, my younger daughter loved Honey and they’d spend hours together. Fourteen-year-old Jessica drew pictures of her and pinned them on the wall of Honey’s ‘apartment’--the landing leading to the basement.
Honey was six years old when she adopted us in 2003, but, within a month, we knew she was living on borrowed time.
She had an extremely sensitive stomach and couldn’t eat ‘normal’ treats like bones, and other popular dog foods without having violent diarrhea attacks. We took every precaution to regulate her diet but she experienced bouts of stomach upsets on a regular basis.
Four years later, we began to notice strange growths on her belly. In addition, her worsening arthritis made walking up and down stairs an increasingly agonizing experience. For selfish reasons, I kept postponing the inevitable. Jessica and I once prayed over her and she improved somewhat but we knew the end was near.
It came December 5, 2007. She went to sleep peacefully and painlessly on the vet’s table.
The anguish and heartache we feel is indescribable. We take comfort in the knowledge that when we make it to the mansion our Lord, Jesus Christ, has prepared for us, Honey will be there, waiting to welcome us.
In the meantime, farewell, faithful friend.
- Peter & Tammy Pachecos
Date: February 02, 2010
Name: JOHN LENEHAN
Comments:
I own a 3 1/2 year old German police dog. His name is Boone, after Daniel Boone. I had brought him when he was 8 weeks old. This past October 2009, I was sitting watching TV and Boone was at my feet as per usual. Suddenly he rose quite suddenly and ran to the kitchen growling very loudly. We have patio doors in our living room and the curtains were not closed. I got up to see what the trouble was. Just then a moose stepped down from our raised flower bed, which runs from our back door to the patio doors. The moose was up against the patio doors, and Boone was barking and growling.
Just then my neighbor called and told me there were 4 moose on the loose in our neighborhood. It is not uncommon to see wildlife on our properties as we live in the country and our home is located over looking the St. John river. The moose at the patio window moved on. My neighbor came over and stated that there was 2 on my property and 2 on his. We went outside. It was dark, approximately 9:30 p.m. It was hard to see them but you could hear them in the alders. One of the yearlings ended up in my neighbour"s pool. We finally got that one out. All this time Boone was beside me and sometimes he would chase one of the moose away. We were just trying to get them away from our homes. We called the Department of Natural Resources and the RCMP and got no response. This all went on for 45 minutes or so.
We could hear nothing so we came to my home and were standing outside talking, Boone sitting by my side. Suddenly from around the corner of my home came one of the moose, approximately 1000 lbs. There were 4 of us standing there by the fire pit. The moose was at full speed and charging at us and close enough that he would have caused physical harm to us, perhaps not all of us, but he certainly would have gotten 1 or 2 of us. Boone took over and attacked the moose. He leaped at its neck and connected. The moose finally shook him off and turned to attack my dog. All I could think was, "That is the end of my Boone." Boone got behind the moose and started to go for his hind end. Boone got a hoof along side of his head but would not give up. Finally the moose ran off into the woods. I called Boone back and he had a cut by his eye. Thankfully nothing more serious. A little lame from being tossed to ground when he was holding on to the neck of the moose.
We came to find out that there were 2 yearlings, the cow and a bull moose. The one Boone attacked was one of the yearlings, and in speaking with the ranger over the next 2 days, the conclusion was that the bull wanted to breed the cow and was trying to get rid of the yearlings. The yearling that ended up in the pool and gave us such a hard time probably had what they call brain worm. Quite common in moose this past year.
Well, Boone certainly was the hero that night. Approximately 2 years ago I went on a trip and in 10 months I put on 423,000 miles. My Boone was with me every mile. I trained him myself as I have done so with any dog I have had in the past 35 years. He is my best friend and companion. He is with me or my wife at all times - well, not when we go to church. We had to stop taking him and leaving him in vehicle at church, as when people would pass by he would almost rock the vehicle as he thought they were too close to vehicle. Very protective.
Date: January 30, 2010
Name: ERIC GROOTVELD
Comments:
Our Rottweiler, named "Bear," saved my wife"s life by bringing her to our attention when she was having a diabetic seizure. He came to us and barked and barked then went to the bedroom. He had never done anything like this before so we went to see what he wanted, and we found my wife in a very bad diabetic seizure. We immediately called the ambulance. If Bear had not brought this to our attention, I hate to think what might have happened. Bear is the best friend I have ever had. I hope he lives a long, long life, and that I will be able to come to his aid some day.
Date: January 28, 2010
Name: Pat
Comments:
When I was about 4 years old my family moved to my grandparents" 10 acre farm in Powell River, BC. Shortly after our deaf Uncle Hank brought us a Lab cross dog that took a special liking to me. Bobo followed me everywhere on the farm. One day I had been playing in the hay loft in the barn and had somehow fallen down the hole where the stairs came up and cracked my head on the cement floor. Bobo went to my parents in the house and kept wanting to go in and out of the house until they figured out that I wasn"t with him and he wanted to show them something. He brought them right to me. They took me to the hospital, where I lay unconscious for three days. Everything turned out fine but I always tell people when I get my off the wall sense of humour or start behaving a little weird it is because of this accident I had.
Date: January 11, 2010
Name: Name withheld
Comments:
My dog"s name was Doggy. He was the perfect pet. He was 2 and a half years old; his next birthday would have been February 3, 2010. Doggy didn"t speak but he would let me know everything he wanted. He would sit next to me every time we ate with his two feet in the front of his chest and want to have a treat. I was diagnosed 2 years ago with Fibromyalgia, double personality and depression. My dog would sleep with us. On the day after my mom"s death, he saw something that no one else could see. He followed the thing around my bed; I thought it was my mother, but I told the doctor and he sent me to psychiatry. They said I was nuts. It happened 3 times after my mom died.
One night he was sleeping with me and my common-law. Someone was in the room just beside me, and my dog woke me up. He knew it was not a good person, because dogs know better than humans whether someone is good or not. That night I was so afraid that my dog slept in my arms, like a real person. He was so afraid too. It was just before I changed apartments.
I had no choice but to put him to sleep. I hope he will forgive me for what I did. To me he was the perfect animal. He was small but he knew me and the family better than anyone. I miss my dog a lot. I love him. He would act like a real person; he would eat restaurant food. He couldn"t come with us, but we would always bring something back from the restaurant. He died on 11/30/2009. We miss you, Doggy, love Mommy and Daddy. Doggy was a cross between a shih tzu and a terrier. We will never forget you.
Date: January 09, 2010
Name: Name withheld
Comments:
Hi there, I wanted to let you know about my Sheltie X - Sheba - that I adopted in 1974 from the Toronto Humane Society.
One day I took her and my active but elderly mother to a walking area that was about 1000 feet above sea level - in the foothills of the Rockies.
We left the car at the base of the hill, and started the slow climb up. As we were nearing the top plateau which went on for miles, my dog started to get more and more fussy, and was running in circles around us. I thought there may be wild horses or coyotes nearby, and ignored her.
Suddenly a cold wind whipped around us, which then quickly turned into a full-blown white-out blizzard!!!! We couldn"t get our bearings - and being on the plateau, were unable to safely find our way down. Normally we could have followed the noise of the traffic at the base of the hill....but the wind was so ferocious and roaring loudly in our ears, it sounded as if we were walking on a highway.
Then I noticed that Sheba was running around us and then kept running away from us - in the same direction each time. With nothing else to guide us, we put our faith totally in the dog and blindly followed wherever she led. She in turn kept circling us to ensure that we were still following her.
An hour and a half later - freezing cold and full of anxiety, my car suddenly appeared in front of us....we were safely at the base car park. Sheba was licking us all over our hands and faces, as if - like a mother - she was checking that her beloved children were healthy and safe. We in turn were so grateful for the devotion she showed in not leaving us to find our own way down. The temperatures can suddenly go to minus 30 or 40*F in that area, and the chances of freezing or falling were very real.
Sheba had been the runt of her litter at the Animal Shelter, and had been sitting quietly at the back of the cage, until that day we first saw each other. She had come running as soon as she saw me enter the room, and was my beloved dog from that moment on.
Years later, in that day on the Hill, I learned that I was her beloved human....we were going to survive or perish together.
Date: December 29, 2009
Name: Diana Penner
Comments:
Sammy was just a little mixed breed puppy that had wandered into
town where the dog catcher had captured him. I was working for the town so he had mentioned to me that he had a small dog in the
pound. Of course the minute I saw him I had to have him. Sammy was a brownish black terrier cross and he was a great dog. He would go with us everywhere.
I was pregnant with my first daughter and my husband and I lived on a farm in the Cold Lake area. We lived in a mobile home that had a garage beside it.
One night Dale and I were sleeping and Sammy was jumping up and down on my bed, I stirred wondering why she was so wiggly and I kinda sat up and looked out the window and there was a huge fire outside. Our garage was in flames! I screamed for Dale to wake up and he saw the giant blaze. Our power pole was already on fire so there was no power. We decided to run to the neighbor we ran out the door and looked back, Sammy did not want to cross the door because it was already hot. I ran back in to get Sammy and we ran to the neighbors.
Our garage had burnt to the ground, our blinds in our bedroom had melted and the side of our house had melted the siding where we slept.
If it weren't for our Sammy dog who knows what would have happened.
Date: December 20, 2009
Name: Sandra Allen
Comments:
About 4 years ago, my 17 year old cat Winston alerted me that something was wrong with my husband. He usually gets up before me, feeds the 2 cats and then has his coffee. That morning Winston kept jumping up on the bed and meowing at me. I knew he had been fed as I had heard my husband opening their food. Finally after 2 or 3 times of him being in "my face", I decided to get up. When I came out to the kitchen he was ahead of me and standing over my husband who was laying on the floor with blood pouring from his head. Winston had been trying to get me up for approximately 15 minutes. My husband had developed a bad infection and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He ended up spending a lot of time with an IV, for about 2 months. However, I was very proud of my buddy Winston for finally getting my attention!
Date: December 16, 2009
Name: Kt Scheffler
Comments:
When Ralph (golden retriever) and i were swimming together in a fairly shallow running stream, he showed immense courage by taking my ankle in his mouth, gentle yet firm enough to have a grip, and swimming me to the shore.
Date: December 15, 2009
Name: Walter Farmer
Comments:
Don"t believe "black cats" are unlucky. After owning one, who lived to 19 human years, we decided on another black cat when our first "blackie" passed away. One 24th of May holiday weekend, we set off to our camp. Arriving late we had supper, read for a while, then off to bed. As we are in an area without power, all appliances are propane [fridge; stove; lights and heater]. Because it was cool, we didn"t open any windows. Around four in the morning I was awoken by our cat running over us and clawing at the bed clothes. I tried to sit up but was very disorientated; in a fog. That"s when I realized that the cat wanted us awake. I rolled out of bed and crawled along the floor to open the front door. In our haste we forgot to clean the stack on the fridge and along with the windows closed the camp filled with carbon monoxide [an odourless killer]. We were in a daze most of the morning but suffered no permanent damage. Our "black" truly was a hero. The next year he was killed on the road near our home; in his memory we went to the SPCA and picked out another cat [mostly black but white on the under side]. This cat, "our buddy," is going into his fourteenth year with us and totally enjoys his time at the camp. So our second cat not only saved us, he also save another cat from probably being put-down as he was in his last foster home placement.
Date: December 12, 2009
Name: susan fry
Comments:
7 years ago my daughter and I stopped our local shelter for a quick look. We had been looking for a medium sized dog to keep my husband Gary, who is partially disabled and at home most of the time, company. What we ended up coming home with was a 120 lb German Shepherd mix that was promptly christened Duke. The only things we knew about him was that he was found sitting on the shelter steps one very cold November morning, he was 2 to 4 years old and that he loved belly rubs. The minute he came into our home he was Gary"s dog, following him constantly, sleeping by his bed and generally being a protective soul and best friend. Duke obediently came from the bed room every morning, except for one. On that particular morning he refused to come out. He whined and sat there by the bed with his ears down and nothing I could say would make him come. When I went in to the room to get him I discovered my husband had collapsed on the other side of the bed. When I could not get him to respond I rushed him to the hospital. He had pneumonia and his kidneys and liver were shutting down, all due to a medication reaction. According to the emergency doctor he would not have survived the day if I had left for work as usual. Duke is our hero, a guardian angel in a fur coat. We rescued him when he had been abandoned, we saved him when his body threatened to let him down and he repaid us by saving my husband"s life. He is the king in our household and he deserves the best we can give him.
Several years later Duke became ill and we discovered he was diabetic. Although his insulin regime would be a strain on our tight budget there was no other choice - he was a member of the family. A short time later Duke lost his sight and became depressed. It was almost as if he expected us to abandon him. He soon recovered from his sadness and learned to navigate his surroundings. Due to a car accident my husband is in constant pain from spinal damage and pinched nerves. Our routine consisted of my taking Duke for his walk, feeding him and giving him his shot before I went to work in the morning so that Gary could sleep.
Date: December 10, 2009
Name: Lorri Proudfoot
Comments:
After having a heart attack, my diabetes was really whacky for awhile. Twice I was unconscious when my blood sugar was extremely low, and both times my amazing little ShitSzu, Sponge Bob, starting barking and running back and forth to my roommate`s room until he came to find out what the problem was. I could have died if medical help hadn`t been called. To this day, I wake up often to find Bob standing right beside my head on the bed, just staring at me.
Another time, my friend came over to visit for the evening. She was to go into the hospital the next morning to have her breast removed due to breast cancer. Sponge Bob sat beside her on the couch all evening, and didn`t remove his head from the breast with the tumor. He`s a perceptive, remarkable little guy, and he`s my hero.
Date: December 09, 2009
Name: Rubi Villalobos
Comments:
When I was 8 years old, my mom had a hair salon in Mexico. On the block there were many stores, one of them was a mechanical shop where they had two dogs. These dogs weren"t of any specific breed, they were a mix of something like a Labrador and rottweiler. One of them, his name was Hodge, used to always stay outside my mom"s salon. My sister and I loved him and fed him even though he wasn"t our dog.
In the neighbourhood, there was a man whom everybody knew was thief. This man used to go inside the hair salon and take candies that were supposed to be for the customers, hair gel and used combs like if it were his house. My mom never said anything just to keep things peaceful, but one day this man came in asking for money; his attitude was very aggressive and it scared my mom. She told my sister and I to go into the back room of the salon but through a a small space I could see how this man was walking closer and closer to my mom. At that moment Hodge, who was outside on the sidewalk, came in to my mom"s side and growled at the man. The man told my mom to tell the dog to go away, but my mom was too scared to say anything and without words Hodge knew my mom was in danger. Hodge kept growling at the man and walked towards him The man finally got scared and broke into a run. I couldn"t see what happened after that but my mom says Hodge chased him for about two blocks before he came back.
We were so grateful to Hodge for keeping us safe but a week later Hodge disappeared. Nobody had seen him but I suspect that that man did something to him. I"ll never forget my hero, Hodge.
Date: November 30, 2009
Name: James Hart
Comments:
Our boy Hank was a blessing to our family from the first day we brought him home from the shelter. As a rescued dog, it took very little time for him to adjust and realise that he was now in a loving, stable, permanent home, and he took to us like syrup to pancakes.
Hank, a catahoula-golden Lab cross, showcased all the best features of his breeding. Protective, yet gentle, intelligent, obedient, and above all truly loyal.
We were living in a condominium complex at the time of his arrival to our household so contact with our good neighbours was inevitable and encouraged. Being considerably larger than most dogs in the community Hank was at first feared by our next door neighbours. Upon my mother"s suggestion we decided to introduce Hank to Joseph and Rose who live adjacent to us along with their two young boys Nathan and Danial. With a proper and controlled introduction it was immediately apparent that the children took to Hank just as well as we hoped, putting the parents at ease and thus a bond was formed between us all.
Nathan and Danial would make a point of coming over to play with Hank in our yard every chance they could. Sometimes if Hank was not outside the two of them would knock on our door and ask if he could come out to play with them and surely we would oblige.
As I was working a night shift at the time I made a habit of turning off the phone in my room when it was time for bed. Also, I would ignore the doorbell if ever it should ring, and Hank would tell whomever was at the door to go away with his adamant barking.
I had just gotten into bed and had enough time to drift off into the land of nod one day when I was awoken by the sound of Hank barking away someone at the door. I rolled over, pulled the covers over my head and tried to get back to sleep but to no avail. Hank"s barking wouldn"t cease and I quickly realised it was a much different tone than normal. I continued to try to block out the commotion until I heard four paws running up the stairs and down the hall to my bed room, barking the whole time. I yelled a command for him to cease and desist and he did, for a moment. I sat up in bed immediately as Hank began to run and ram into the closed door of my room. It sounded as if he were intent on knocking it down if I didn"t go and see what was the matter.
As I reluctantly got out of bed the banging on my door continued, a very uncharacteristic thing for Hank to do. I got dressed and opened my door and saw him there waiting and looking very riled up about something. As if taking his cue from old "Lassie" episodes, he began gesturing towards the stairs. As I got to the stairs he led the way down and proceeded to the front door where he stood alternating his glances from the door to me, then back again. It was very clear at this point he was trying to tell me something. The last thing I needed at the time was to be bothered by a meter reader or a salesman, but Hank was clear on the fact that I needed to check the door.
e stayed pressed by my side as I peered through the peephole of the door to see what was going on out there. I couldn"t make it out at first but was soon to realise it was just the top of a head of hair standing outside, just barely in my view. Upon me reaching the door Hank had grown silent instantly and I could make out the muffled sounds of a small boy sniffling and crying. I immediately unlatched the deadbolt and opened the front door to find my two young neighbours, Nathan, the oldest, in tears holding an arm around Daniel, his younger brother, who was also in tears with a look of fear on his face only seen in a child truly worried.
"What"s the matter? What"s wrong?" I asked.
"Our mom!" Nathan said, "We can"t find her. She was supposed to be here, but we cant find her. We"re scared and can"t get into our house."
The children"s parents had asked a long time ago if our house could be used for the boys to call upon if ever anything should happen, and the two boys remembered they could come here for help as they did on this day. Without hesitation I told them both to come inside and have a seat on the couch. I sat them down and asked them to explain what had happened. Nathan, still with his arm around his younger brother began to tell me that they had a half day at school and were supposed to come home at noon and then go swimming with their mother who was supposed to be home, but was not answering the door. It was now approaching 2pm and they were worried sick that something bad had happened.
I calmed the boys down, gave them an ice cream bar and told them to start any homework they might have while I figure out what is happening. The whole time Hank would not leave their side. I knocked on the door. No answer. I called their school and explained the situation and where the boys were. The school said they would try to contact the parents at work immediately.
The two boys hadn"t even had time to finish the ice cream bars I"d given them by the time my doorbell rang. Hank began wagging his tail with such vigor I thought it would fly right off him. I opened the door to see their mother, wearing just a bathrobe and towel in her hair. The boys ran to her with smiles the like I had never seen.
As it turns out, she wrote the day down wrong on the calendar and didn"t expect the children home for several more hours, that"s why she was enjoying a nice long relaxing bath with her headphones in, thus not hearing the doorbell.
She thanked me profusely, but I explained that all credit is due to our boy Hank. If were not for him, I would have ignored the door altogether and the poor children would have been left out with no place to go. It was Hank who realised and reacted to the distress of others and found the help the children needed.
Hank sure did enjoy the steak dinner she brought over for him as a thank you later that evening. And the boys still come over to see if Hank wants to go play catch and he is still more than happy to oblige.
Date: November 29, 2009
Name: Sally Cornies
Comments:
Life goes on, but something was missing. How to fill the void? I saw a photo in the newspaper of two girls with their dogs - Pet Therapy dogs. Should we try for this? Can we do it? Assessment night - Buttons and I are put through a very thorough evaluation along with several other dogs and owners. We"re told: "If you make a mistake, you"re out!" Dogs must obey and cannot jump up on people. They must be able to follow several basic commands and they must be able to remain calm around wheelchairs and walkers, etc. Sit, stay, down, come. Could Buttons actually sit and stay while her mistress walked away from her when there were all those other people and dogs hanging about? Yes she could, and yes she did! She passed!!! Next step - Where to visit? Ponderosa Lodge was our first choice and we soon found ourselves doing an orientation visit through the lodge. We spent the next few years visiting at Ponderosa Lodge on a regular basis. It was win-win-win for everyone. Buttons loved to visit, the seniors loved to see her, and I got great satif=sfaction in seeing the joy my little dog gave to people. Everyone loved her. She was a "natural" when it came to visiting and she seemed to sense the frailty of the seniors. We would wander around Ponderosa Lodge, stopping to visit with anyone who wanted to see the dog. She would sit with someone and let them pet her forever, if need be. I remember one day we were invited into the middle of a group of seniors seated in a large circle. With no prompting, Buttons would move from person to person and sit in front of them and be petted, then she"d move on to the next person. She was "doing her job".
And that"s the storButtons was her name. Where did she come from? Nobody knows. She was badly abused and had been left at a rural vet clinic to be "put down". We don"t know why. The vet asked my husband, who had taken our dog, Charley, in for his annual checkup, to drop Buttons off at the pound on his way home. The vet didn"t want to euthanize the dog, so the pound would have to do it. On the way, my husband and Charley decided that Buttons was a keeper so they took her home. A most excellent decision, as it turned out. I arrived home from work to find a scraggy, mangy, timid little mutt, afraid of her own shadow. Half her teeth were ground away, she was missing a lot of hair off her back, she was a mess! We cleaned her up and started her rejuvenation. The next few months were spent bonding and earning her trust. She took to my husband right away, but it took several weeks before she"d allow me to even touch her. This led us to believe her abuse had been at the hand of a woman. As time went by the most beautiful dog emerged. Long, silky, golden-red hair and huge brown eyes. She was loving and affectionate and starved for attention. She was VERY needy. She was well-mannered and well-disciplined. Someone in her past had loved her very much. We wondered what went wrong and why she had ended up headed for the pound? She spent several happy years with us living on 7 acres in the country, playing with the other dogs, chasing ducks, chickens & geese, and going for long horseback rides in the bush with her master. Alas,the good life ended suddenly when her master suffered a fatal heart attack. The country life was left behind, and Buttons and Charley and I moved to the city. I was blessed with her for 13 years and she continued her Ponderosa visits until her health began to fail. The little dog that nobody wanted ended up bringing so much joy to so many people.
Date: November 22, 2009
Name: Lori Brinkworth
Comments:
Our cat named Sonny is our hero. A few years back we had my husband"s brother living with us as well as renting a room to anther fellow who had the use of the kitchen. My husband and I were working nights and Dave our brother in law had gone to bed early. The renter had gone out for the evening and brought a friend back home with him where they decided to make something to eat. He was cooking something on the stove and him and the friend both fell asleep. The pan began to smoke and the house filled up with black smoke so thick you couldn"t see. Sonny went up to Dave"s room and frantically poked at him until he awoke to find the house smothered in black smoke. Dave called the fire department, grabbed the pan and threw it outside. It had a hole in the bottom and was ready to turn into flames. He woke up the renter and his friend and got them outside. If it wasn"t for Sonny waking him up I"m sure the house would have burned down and the people inside fatally hurt. Sonny is ten years old now and we thank him everyday for saving the house and all who were in it. He will always be our special boy! Sonny is white like milk with green eyes, he is the colour of an angel.
Date: November 20, 2009
Name: lynn der
Comments:
wWe have a 10 year old German Shepard/rottweiler cross female dog. On October 14 2005 it was well below zero and there was a lot of snow on the ground. When I came home from work I let her out and seconds later she was back and kept barking and whining and running back and forth. I thought the kid behind us was throwing snowballs at her like he always was doing so I went to check and she ran around the corner. So I looked and on the snow I saw what looked like a dead bird, but when I picked it up it was a tiny baby kitten. Its face was all yucky so I filled the sink to bathe it and it started drinking the water, so I fed it and took it to the vet. He said she might have rabies because of all the mess on her face. I told him to give her the shots she would need and her temperature was very low and he said she would probably die. I brought her home and Buddie the dog started to look after Punkie the kitten. Buddie even let the kitten suck on her for 4 or 5 days, then Punkie started to eat on her own. We think someone put the kitten there for the dog to kill because it was too small to get there by itself. They are still friends today and cuddle all the time.
Date: November 13, 2009
Name: Jean Freeman
Comments:
After a knee replacement I was given strenuous exercises to do at home. My cat Tosca leapt on to the bed as I prepared to exercise and lay with her face five inches from mine, purring loudly. Halfway through the very intense and painful exercises, I would find myself lagging. Tosca would lay her little paw on my arm and purr encouragement and if that didn"t get me going, she"d unsheath the claws and hold my arm as if to say "Come on, old lady, you can do this!" I finished all my exercises and got a wonderful review at the Hip and Knee
clinic today, thanks to my little cheering section, a sweet little cat who caught the important of me doing the exercises and purred me right through.
Date: November 12, 2009
Name: Nicole
Comments:
Animals not only form strong bonds with their owners, but also with other pets in the household. We live in a heavily wooded area, where lots of wild animals compete for territory and food. One night we all awoke to our 50lb shepherd mix, Rusty, barking, snarling, and growling on the front patio. When we got out of bed to see what was up, we found Rusty standing, very possesively, over our elderly persian cat on the deck, with two coyotes trying to climb up the stairs. Rusty may not have saved a human being, but he certainly saved a dear family member.
Date: November 08, 2009
Name: Dorothy Pyefinch
Comments:
I just had my lower back fused (because of osteoarthritis) and after a stay in the hospital I was able to have a hospital bed in my bedroom at home.
While recovering from surgery, I had a 7 year old cat named Nigel come and jump on my bed. He then went to look out my bedroom window and I heard a 'thunk'! My poor Nigel passed away suddenly.
Trying to recover from surgery was very difficult for me at this time. My bud had passed away and I felt that he knew it and came to me to say goodbye.
Topaz gave me the happiness that I needed to recover from surgery!
My family and a friend was distraught when they found out about Nigel and to my surprise my husband; daughter and girlfriend put their money together and purchased me a Ragdoll cat named Topaz. He got his name because of his blue eyes.
Topaz is 5 years old now and a joy to have living in our household!
