Devoted Dog
This first story is about Honey, an English Cocker Spaniel puppy, who was chosen as National Dog Day Hero Dog of the Year in 2006. On a crisp October day, Honey and her owner, Michael Bosch, were heading out in Bosch's SUV when the sunlight temporarily blinded him. He miscalculated a turn between his driveway and a deep ravine next to it. The vehicle dropped 50 feet into the ravine, rolling 5 times before finally landing on it's roof. Bosch was pinned to the vehicle by a tree that had crushed his legs, and he was now hanging upside down. Still recovering from a heart attack he suffered two months prior and located at least a quarter mile from his nearest neighbor, he realized that his only chance of survival was Honey. Only five months old at the time, Honey was able to escape the vehicle through the broken and gaping windshield. Honey traveled through at least a half a mile of thick, dense forest, eventually ending up at the doorstep of a neighbor, Robin Allen. Honey pawed at Allen desperately, whimpering and urging her to follow her. Allen said that Honey was literally "bringing me to the accident scene. She was directing me." When they returned to the site of the accident, Allen said Honey was "pacing like a worried parent." Allen alerted rescue crews, and by the time they arrived, Bosch had already spent nearly 8 hours hanging upside down and injured. Bosch's pulse had weakened and paramedics thought he wouldn't have made it much longer without Honey's quick heroism. Probably the most amazing part of the story is that Bosch had adopted her from a local rescue shelter only two weeks prior to the accident.
Cat Scratch Fever
Aggie is a cat who started out life completely unwanted. Born without eyes, Aggie was rescued by a foster family who only planned on keeping the cat long enough to find someone who would embrace her disability. However, Aggie won over her foster parents with her spunky personality, realizing that her lack of sight was no hindrance. One night, when her owners were fast asleep, Aggie awoke to the sound of someone stealthily sneaking into the house through a downstairs window. Aggie realized the intruder was unfamiliar, so he immediately attacked, digging his claws into the intruder's face. The screams from the intruder awoke the family, but by the time they came downstairs to investigate, he had fled. The only evidence they were left with was a shoe on the windowsill and blood on Aggie's paws.
Bear Meets Grizzly
Paul Guitard, an Alaska man, decided to take his sled dogs for a run one June day. As is typical in the summer, Paul hooked them up to a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle with his lead dog, Grizzly, at the front. The team had only gone a short distance down the trail when a black bear charged from out of a bush. The mother bear attacked Paul, savagely biting his arm and leg. He realized that this ordinarily docile creature was merely protecting the two cubs he had unknowingly gotten too close to. The bear pulled him off the all-terrain vehicle and the dogs took off down the trail. Normally, the dogs would continue to run even after Paul was no longer on the vehicle, but Grizzly, his lead dog, knew that Paul needed help. Grizzly halted the team and immediately reversed their direction. While still attached to the rest of the team, Grizzly attacked the bear, giving Paul a chance to escape it's grasp. While Grizzly fought the bear, Paul headed up the nearest tree. Once Paul was up, Grizzly planted himself at the base of the tree, creating a barrier between the bear and his owner. The bear was determined, however, charging the tree every twenty minutes or so, only to be fought off by the even more determined husky. Paul was in a lot of pain and bleeding badly from his injured arm and leg. About six hours after the initial attack, Paul heard his brother-in-law coming down the trail searching for him. Before he got too close, Paul screamed at him to go get a gun. Paul, and the bear, heard them as they returned. The bear stood waiting for them on the other side of the trail, prepared to attack once they came within striking distance. Paul's brother-in-law saw her first, however, and shot her as she charged towards them. Paul then climbed down and immediately tended to Grizzly's wounds. Amazingly, Grizzly only suffered a gash on the nose from his scuffles with the bear. Paul, however, suffered serious gashes in his arm and calf muscle, as well as a broken ankle. Paul swears that, if not for Grizzly's heroic actions, he would have definitely died that day.
