We hear many news stories of humans heroically saving dogs from burning buildings and abandoned animals from certain death. But when an animal rescues a human, it sheds a whole new light on the phrase, “man’s best friend,” creates international headlines, and makes us ponder, who really is the better friend? Here are some amazing reports of animals that blur the line between hero and pet.
Canines and Cuddlers: Dogs Who Save Babies
India is infamous for its stray dog population. They are cast aside on the streets of New Delhi as minor nuisances napping on derelict street corners and eating leftover garbage. Yet on one occasion, a stray dog saved the life of a baby when villagers heard barking in a nearby fruit orchard. The dog was howling for an abandoned baby girl who was discovered under a pile of mud and leaves. Though the reason for her abandonment is not fully known, she was fortunate to have survived with the help of her new feral friend.
Photo source: network.bestfriends.org
In Nairobi, Kenya, a stray dog found an abandoned baby in a plastic bag deep in the forest and carried the child to her litter of puppies where she guarded her like one of her own. The infant was found amongst the puppies and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Photo source: blogs.knoxnews.com
Shana Saves Through Sleet and Snow
Eve and Norman Fertig, both eighty-one years old, were in their wildlife sanctuary in Buffalo, New York treating injured birds when a sudden snowstorm occurred. They were trapped by trees and snow on their walk home. Shana, their seven-year-old German Shepard mix, realized her owners were in danger and dug a tunnel through the deep snow to the couple. Once Shana reached her owners, she helped drag them out to safety.
Photo source: photo.net by Tim Holte
Fearless Flippers
Though the chance of being attacked by a shark is lower than the risk of getting hit by lightning, there’s still that small, terrifying chance you might run into a face-off with Jaws while surfing. The unfortunate truth is Jaws will win—unless of course, you have some friendly flippers to rescue you. Todd Endris was surfing off the coast of Monterey, California when he was attacked by a great white shark. He was sitting on his surfboard when the shark struck him three times in the leg and torso. Endris says a group of bottle-nosed dolphins formed a protective boundary around him when they noticed the shark attacking him, subsequently saving this surfer’s life by giving him enough protection to go back to shore.
In Manfredonia, a small coastal town in the south of Italy, a friendly dolphin locals affectionately named Filippo had been a tourist attraction for years. When teenager Davide Ceci fell into the water off his father’s boat, and was minutes away from drowning, Filippo appeared and pushed him up towards safety before Davide’s father was unaware that Davide had even fallen into the water. Filippo brought him close to the boat, where David’s father grabbed him and pulled him away from danger.
Photo source: francethisway.com
From dogs digging tunnels in the snow to dolphins rescuing surfers from sharks, animals are daring, fearless, intelligent, and let’s face it, more courageous than many people we know.