Everyone loves a great tale of heroism – especially when the heroes have tails. Every year there are dozens of animals who perform great feats without any hesitation. Here are just 5 from the past year to make you smile.
Hunter
Just two weeks after being adopted from the Humane Society, 3-month-old Hunter, a husky mix, rescued his family right back. According to the family, he started whining in the night and would not let up. He led one of his new owners, Jill McLarty, to the kitchen where he sat next to the stove. Upon closer inspection, McLarty noticed that the burner was just barely on – enough to emit gas without burning it – and probably had been since the family made dinner six hours earlier.
From M Live Michigan, March 2014
Tara
You’ve probably heard of Tara, the cat who saved her human brother back in May. In case you missed it, security footage showed a dog approach and attack a young boy playing in his driveway. Moments later, the 6-year-old tabby came flying out of nowhere and attacked the dog, then chased it down the street. The footage, uploaded to YouTube, went viral in a day, and now Tara has over 41,000 fans on Facebook.
For more on Tara, visit her website.
Major
Terry McGlade’s seizure-sensing service dog, Major, called 911 when McGlade collapsed. While the rescued lab-pit bull mix had not been trained to make emergency calls, he somehow worked the phone out of his owner’s pocket and stepped on the screen to make the call; and even though he couldn’t say what was going on, dispatchers knew to send help. When police arrived at the US Marine’s home, Major was there to lead them to McGlade.
From People, May 2014
Smudge
Smudge the cat saved his 5-year-old owner, Ethan, from a group of bullies. According to Ethan’s mother Sharon Fenton, three boys approached their yard where Ethan was playing with his 2-year-old brother. He ignored the boys, and one of them pushed Ethan to the ground. As Fenton opened the door to intervene, she saw Smudge run out from under their car, leap up and hit the bully in the chest. The bully was so surprised that he stumbled backwards, burst into tears, and ran away.
From The Daily Mail, July 2014
Higgins and Dodger
When Judy Muhe, a 76-year-old woman who has Parkinson’s disease and lives alone, fell and shattered her shoulder, her dogs may have saved her. The pair of golden retrievers named Higgins and Dodger stuck close to their owner, keeping her warm for 48 hours until help arrived. When her friend Kathy Jacobs came over, the dogs led her straight to Muhe in the kitchen.
From the Huffington Post, October 2014