Dogs are our companions, our best friends, our confidants and our babies throughout their lives. Although they have a reputation for being faithful and loyal to their masters, dogs are also sometimes real heroes ! And for good reason, their intelligence and instinct push them to act to defend, protect and save the people they love, but also sometimes strangers! Discover the exploits of the hero dogs and their 5 extraordinary stories , emotions guaranteed!
1. Kabang, true guardian angel
The events occurred in the Philippines when Kabang was 2 years old. The little dog is undoubtedly one of the hero dogs , because she protected her master's daughter as well as her cousin from a road accident. In fact, a scooter was about to hit them when Kabang rushed to get between them.
The hero dog then suffered serious injuries including the loss of his upper jaw including his muzzle. Thanks to her, the little girls aged 3 and 9 escaped unscathed. The dog became a real hero in the eyes of the residents who collected so that Kabang could be treated. So, 8 months after the accident, the dog was finally reunited with his family, disfigured, but healthy!
2. Togo and Balto, courageous saviors
Impossible to talk about hero dogs without talking about Balto and his famous race in the Alaskan blizzard . The story takes place in January 1925 in Nome, Alaska. An epidemic of diphtheria, a fatal disease which mainly affects children, is raging in the small town. Serum must be distributed as quickly as possible and good news, there is still some in Anchorage. Less good news, Anchorage is 1,600 km from Nome and the powerful blizzard that has set in prevents the delivery of serums by plane.
Finally, it was decided that a train could bring the serums to Nenana, 1085 km from Nome, and that the rest of the journey would be done by sleigh. Léonhard Seppala takes the road with 20 sled dogs led by Togo, to collect the serums.
And Balto in all this?
In reality, several convoys were sent and Balto was at the head of one of them guided by Gunnar Kaasen, whose role was the same as that of Léonhard Seppala. A combination of circumstances meant that it was Balto's convoy which was the first to return to Nome to bring the serums and save the children from diphtheria. It is therefore the name of Balto which has remained and celebrated as a hero . But Togo and the 100 huskies belonging to the 20 convoys are all equally deserving.
Upon his death, Balto's body was stuffed and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, so that his heroic story would be remembered forever.
This event gave rise to an annual race, Iditarod. It retraces the path traveled by Balto's convoy.
3. Velvet, laboratory dog turned hero
We do not know Velvet's age or exact appearance at the time of the incident, but what is certain is that he showed incredible bravery .
The story takes place on February 18, 2007, when 3 mountaineers and Velvet set out to conquer Mount Hood. The 4 climbers then found themselves trapped in a crevasse, and despite the activation of their location systems, help could not intervene immediately due to the bad weather conditions.
They must therefore spend the night in the crevasse where it is -20°C and with a freezing wind. Velvet, our hero dog , makes rounds all night and snuggles up to the climbers to keep them warm. They were rescued the next morning. Velvet is a hero dog who saved these 3 people from almost certain death, let's hope he got all the love he deserves.
4. Apache, flair at the service of humanity
Apache is a Belgian Shepherd Malinois dog who behaved as a true rescuer in the service of humanity during the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Apache and his firefighter were on site, and they carried out searches in a school in Port au prince. Thanks to his training and bravery , Apache slipped through the rubble for 5 hours, allowing the rescue of 41 children .
5. Jerry Leen, blind rescue
Jerry Leen is also a Belgian Malinois who was 2 years old at the time of the heroic rescue he initiated.
On Saturday June 10, 2017, two teenagers decide to go explore the catacombs of Paris. They quickly find themselves lost and it is their parents who alert the emergency services. The search began 24 hours after their disappearance thanks to a publication left on social networks which evoked their dangerous visit.
Many experienced people go looking for them in the catacombs, including Jerry Leen, our hero dog . Thanks to his highly developed sense of smell, he manages to find the teenagers , taking dubious paths to the point that the firefighters think that the dog is himself disoriented. But Jerry Leen, loyal and determined, was not lost! It was thanks to him and the training he received that the two young people were found. The Belgian Shepherd Malinois is therefore a hero who was decorated with a medal in 2019, to reward his bravery.
All of these dogs have accomplished feats that make them heroes, but there are others! Every day, dogs guide their visually impaired masters , save lives, watch over their families, brighten up the trying daily lives of people in hospitals and nursing homes and detect cancer . Let's not forget all the other furry people who all deserve a medal and above all recognition, for their daily actions and their remarkable loyalty!
After all these extraordinary stories , no doubt, hero dogs exist! Whether they perform true miracles or calmly watch over you and your family, dogs are our guardian angels and we must respect and love them as they deserve. And besides, yours is perhaps one of them? Don’t hesitate to tell us about your adventures or misadventures, and how your dog saved the day!
