The love between a dog and its owner cannot be matched in the animal kingdom. It transcends a casual relationship from a mere pet to a mutual deep, committed love as a respected, cherished family member.
Many of us say our dogs have saved our lives in different ways, including staying by our side during mental health crises, bringing joy to us as emotional support animals, assisting us with activities of daily living, and more. We say we dedicate our whole being to our puppies’ happiness. But would we be willing to sacrifice our lives to save our dogs?
The human-animal bond is so strong that our canine friends would do anything for us, including saving our lives without hesitation. And even if they have a successful rescue, the dogs may not always come out of the experience healthy by suffering from injuries or life-long complications. Some dogs unfortunately give the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in their last valiant act of selflessness to serve and protect humans. If you’ve heard the phrase “We don’t deserve dogs,” these “tails” of bravery will have you nodding in agreement.
Here are some heartwarming stories of the valor, courage, and selflessness our dogs have shown in times of unfathomable crises of how dogs save human lives out of their unwavering loyalty and quick, instinctual actions.
Which Dog Breeds Historically Demonstrate Heroic Instincts?
While all dogs regardless of purebred or mixed breed status can be heroes, some dog breeds stand out as more predisposed than others to seek out rescuing people from various catastrophic situations. These rescue dog breeds usually possess specialized physical characteristics like an incredible sense of smell, large, powerful muscles, waterproof coats, webbed feet, and tails that act like rudders, but they all share personality traits of loyalty, bravery, courage, and determination. Here are just four of the many types of dog breeds that excel at rescuing humans in various capacities.
Portuguese Water Dogs
Portuguese Water Dogs hail from the southwest corner of Europe from countries with miles of coastline. These “fishermen’s dogs” assisted fishermen with retrieving lost tackle and broken nets, delivered messages between boats, and most importantly, rescued people in dangerous waters. Their physical characteristics aiding in their rescue ability are their strong, powerful muscles, tapered tail, and webbed paws that give them powerful paddling abilities perfect for swimming in rough waters.
Newfoundlands
Newfoundlands hail from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada along a coastline with frigid ocean currents and strong western winds. These massive, shaggy dogs have a remarkable track record of saving lives in water-related emergencies, including instances of drowning or capsizing. Their heroic efforts span various scenarios, from rescuing seaside visitors to aiding hundreds of shipwrecked sailors. It’s said these noble dogs even played a role in saving the life of Napoleon Bonaparte!
For ages, fishermen relied on Newfoundlands as lifesavers in the icy Atlantic. These sturdy pups were like aquatic superheroes with their powerful muscles, thick, waterproof coats, wide tails, and webbed feet. A Newfoundland is strong enough to tow a grown man back to shore. Their innate swimming abilities and strong instincts for rescue make them invaluable assets in water rescue operations.
Ships would rarely set sail without a Newfy on board to assist them in case disaster struck. Legend has it that a black Newfoundland named Rigel played a heroic role in one of the world’s worst disasters, the sinking of the Titanic. He reportedly swam next to a lifeboat for three hours searching for his owner until he spotted a steamship, barking to alert the crew. Without Rigel’s courage and stamina, the lifeboat of passengers may have joined other unfortunate passengers to a watery grave. Today, Coast Guards in Italy, France, and England carry Newfoundlands on patrol with them. They start training around four months and begin feats like towing boats by age two.
St. Bernards
St. Bernards are another massive rescue dog breed that can weigh 180+ pounds and stand as tall as a grown adult. They traditionally sought after pilgrims trapped in the treacherous Swiss Alps region between Italy and Switzerland. Their remarkable sense of direction and smell, friendly nature, weather-proof coats, and giant paws equipped to trudge through snowbanks made St. Bernards invaluable.
St. Bernards have reportedly saved 2,000 people over 200 years. The most famous St. Bernard named Barry rescued 40 lives in his 14-year working history including carrying a half-frozen boy on his back to the safety of the warm monastery. Whether or not they actually carried a barrel of brandy to revive weary travelers cannot be confirmed, but St. Bernards were integral parts of pilgrims’ safety on their way to Rome.
Arctic sled dogs
Arctic sled dogs originated in the Arctic region bred to haul loads long distances in teams. They have enormous amounts of stamina, endurance, and well-insulated double coats to protect them from extremely harsh winter weather conditions up to 60 degrees F below zero.
Arctic sled dogs like Siberian Huskies and Samoyeds do more than just participate in races for prizes – their teams have raced to save lives. The famous Nome Serum Run of 1925 delivered life-saving diphtheria antitoxin 600 miles to save the isolated town of Nome, Alaska from a deadly outbreak. The serum helped prevent an even more widespread epidemic and began a tradition of a commemorative run, eventually becoming the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Samoyeds may look like cute polar bear stuffed animals with their cuddly white fur and perpetual smiles, but there’s way more to them than their fluffy looks. Samoyeds are versatile team dogs bred for herding, weight pulling, and sledding. A brave Samoyed named Rex the White Way held over 30 mountain rescues under his paw. One of his crowning achievements is when he delivered a doctor and lifesaving supplies to a train stuck in the infamous, harsh Donner Pass during a blizzard in 1952 saving 226 people trapped on that train. Rex’s endurance and stamina are still celebrated today.
Other rescue dog breeds
Bloodhounds, Beagles, and other scenthounds use their incredible sense of smell to track missing people. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and others are also used to keep humans safe in search and rescue, military and law enforcement, border patrol, and more.
Canines to the Rescue: Hero Pups We Admire
Let’s read about some amazing rescue feats of various dogs who risked their lives or used their incredible abilities to save lives. Get your tissues ready because these are tearjerkers!
Pawrade Staff Pup to the Rescue: Frankie the Golden Retriever
Pawrade Puppy Concierge Cassi Rich wouldn’t be here today without her then 7-year-old Golden Retriever, Frankie, saving her life. Cassi’s family rescued Frankie two years earlier from a shelter when she was set to be euthanized. However, Frankie carried out her own rescue mission a few years later.
Cassi was around five years old when they moved to a home in Florida with a pool. Her mom immediately began teaching her swim lessons, but Cassi wasn’t quite a strong swimmer yet. One day, she was walking by the pool and saw a favorite toy floating in the water. She reached in as far as she could to grab it but plunged in.
Cassi says, “While I was flailing around in the water, Frankie bolted across the yard, jumped halfway to me across the pool, and swam right up on me in a circular motion, I’m assuming to wrap herself around me so that I could feel she was there. I grabbed onto her instinctively, and she swam straight to the stairs to the opposite side of where I had fallen. Right as she reached the stairs, I remember seeing my mom running for dear life from the back door towards the pool. I’ll never forget that experience or that amazing dog. If it hadn’t been for her, it is unlikely I would be here today.”
Spy the medical detection dog
Spy the Labrador Retriever is a diabetes medical detection dog trained to notice when his little girl’s blood sugar is unregulated, which could lead to serious health issues. Spy detects chemical changes in the body chemistry to indicate an oncoming Type 1 diabetic episode. Spy woke up from a deep sleep and alerted the girl’s parents to check on her. Sure enough, Sky prevented the little girl from the dire consequences of high blood sugar. Even when sleeping, Sky was able to keep his little girl safe.
Roselle the Guide Dog on 9/11
Michael Hingson and his seeing-eye guide dog, canine hero Labrador Retriever Roselle, came to work that Tuesday morning on 9/11 like any other day on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He was ready for his presentation to begin soon when the first plane struck. Roselle led Hingson down 1,463 steps to safety. However, the danger wasn’t over yet. As the Towers collapsed, Roselle brought Hingson down the Fulton St. subway station to avoid the brunt of the clouds of dust and debris. Hingson said, “She did exactly what she was supposed to do.”
Axel the Border Collie
Axel the Border Collie knew something wasn’t quite right one night. He pawed Amanda Tanner, mother of 17-year-old Gabriel Silva while she was asleep. She thought he had to go out, but he led her to Gabriel’s door. There, Tanner found Gabriel suffering from a stroke, slurring his words unintelligibly, his right side falling numb and his vision affected. Axel detected a torn blood vessel and acted immediately due to this change in Gabriel’s body. Neurosurgeon Dr. Sabih Effendi noted, “Without that early notification of him getting to the hospital, you really would have had really permanent deficits that would have made him really nonfunctional and unable to live life.” Gabriel is thriving today thanks to the quick thinking of Axel.
Choose Your 4-Legged Hero at Pawrade
At Pawrade, we like to ask: “Now which one is saving the life here?” We couldn’t imagine our lives without dogs. Your puppy will see you as their hero with your superpowers of delivering food, treats, cuddles, and playtime. And in return, your puppy may end up saving your life in perhaps not a heroic way, but via a quiet, steady stream of unconditional love and companionship.
You may be overwhelmed knowing where to start on your puppy adoption journey. We understand how difficult it is to find a legitimate breeder, so we've put our experience and expertise to work for you. Our network comprised of trustworthy breeders who partner with Pawrade deliver puppies backed by our comprehensive health guarantee. They are the true heroes behind Pawrade to introduce you to a variety of puppies for sale offering something for everyone.
Puppy scammers are the opposite of heroes! Pawrade collaborates with PetPay.com to safeguard you and your family from numerous scams that are prevalent in the pet rehoming domain. PetPay.com serves as the exclusive payment processing and transaction management platform tailored specifically for this purpose. We assure you that your hard-earned money will remain protected, and offer a solid safeguard against potential scams. We stand behind this commitment with a 100% guarantee.
Contact us today so your hero can come along and give you strength to carry on!
