Stories of heroic dogs who saved humans from danger (Representative Image)
When you read the words "rescue" and "dog" in the same sentence, it is usually the case of a human
coming to the rescue of an animal - but not always. It is not without reason that dogs are known as man's best friend. Over the centuries, there have been several heartwarming incidents of dogs saving their owners from danger. While some of these loyal pets have been immortalised in statues - like George the terrier, who died protecting a group of children from a pit bull attack in 2007 - others have had their stories celebrated in the form of books and articles.
Here are five heroic dogs who saved humans from danger:
The golden retriever who got bit by a rattlesnake while trying to save his owner
In June 2018, Paula Godwin went for a hike in Arizona and almost stepped on a venomous rattlesnake. She was saved by her puppy, who was then just a year-old. "My hero of a puppy Todd saved me. He jumped right in front of my leg where I surely would have got bit," wrote Ms Godwin in a Facebook post thanking her pet. The brave puppy got bit by the snake in the process, but fortunately recovered from his injuries.
The Yorkshire terrier who stayed with a missing three-year-old through the night
Also in June 2018, a Yorkshire terrier won hearts around the world when news broke that he stayed by a three-year-old girl's side through the night. When three-year-old Remy Elliot from Missouri, USA, went missing, her family launched a massive search operation. She was found in a cornfield after 12 hours, and it was revealed that her pet dog, named Fat Heath, had stayed by her side throughout.
The pet dog who saved a missing girl in freezing cold
In 2013, a three-year-old girl went missing in Poland and spent the night in freezing temperatures. Firefighters who found the girl said that her pet dog kept the child warm enough throughout the night, with temperatures plunging to minus five degrees Celsius.
The loyal puppy who led rescuers to his injured owner
Last year in Ireland, an elderly man fell into a ditch while taking his puppy, Jack, on a walk. "I knew there was no way I could get out, and I also feared that Jack might just run off, because he's only a pup," said Pat Brennan. Instead of running away, however, Jack stayed by his owner's side and led rescuers to him as he lay injured in the ditch.
The dog from Kerala who saved his family from a devastating landslide
In August 2018, Mohanan P and his family were fast asleep in their home in Kerala's Idukki district when the incessant barking of their dog, Rocky, woke them up. "It became a very unusual distress howl. That's when we realised something was wrong. I went out to see and we had to just rush out of the house," Mr Mohanan told NDTV. Mr Mohanan and his family, along with Rocky, managed to rush out in the nick of time before their house was destroyed by a landslide.
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