10 Heroic Dog Stories That Will Touch Your Heart

Small or tall, young or old, fat or thin, dogs are called man's best friend for a reason. Some dogs are trained to help and others just do it by instinct. Whatever category they fall in, they act come from a place of love. Here are ten who will make your heart swell and bring tears to your eyes.

Imagine being a paraplegic. Now imagine being in a car accident, your car is on fire and you're trapped inside. Thanks to the courageous, quick-thinking Rottweiler, Eve, Kathie is alive to tell this story. Eve dragged Kathie by her ankles from her burning truck and then dragged her to the safety of a nearby ditch. Kathie's truck then exploded.

For her bravery, Eve was awarded the Stillman award.

When Michael Bosch's SUV rolled and came to rest upside-down in a ravine, his options were few. Trapped inside his vehicle and with no access to a phone, panic filled his chest. His only hope was his 5 month old English Cocker Spaniel, Honey. With the little strength he had left, he freed Honey in the hope she somehow would bring help. Honey ran for half a mile down the road and caught the attention of a stranger, leading him back to her stranded owner. Rescuers said that if it hadn't been for Honey, Michael would have surely died.

Who among can forget the horror and tragedy of 9/11? Seeing those towers collapse brings tears to even the hardest of hearts. One of the bravest rescuers that day was Trakr. Trakr was a search and rescue dog that worked with police officer James Symington. Despite choking smoke, unstable concrete and intense heat, Trakr helped find and dig through 30 feet of dbris to find the last human survivor trapped in the rubble. So brave was Trakr, that now his DNA is being cloned to produce dogs for other police rescue forces!

It was a day like any other or at least it seemed to be. Ruth Gay routinely walked her dog, Blue, in the swampy area behind her home. Yet today was going to be different. Ruth, who is 85, fell in her yard and could not get up quickly enough to evade the danger coming her way. When a 6 foot alligator caught wind of Ruth and advanced on her, Blue sprung into action. Barking and biting ferociously, the Australian Blue Heeler drove the alligator off. Both Ruth and Blue survived the incident with only minor injuries.

For most of us, training our dog to shake hands is about as far as we get. For Kevin Weaver, who suffers from diabetes and seizures, training his beagle, Belle, to dial 911 was something he hoped she'd never have to do. Kevin lived alone and one night, collapsing from a seizure, he was unable to call for help. Belle sprang into action and bit down on Kevin's cell phone just as she had been trained to do. Without the quick action of his best friend Belle, Kevin believes he would have surely died.

The Contra Costa had been looking for the missing 20 year old woman for several days with no leads in sight. That's when they put Kaze, a German Shpeherd, on her first case. Trained in search and rescue, Kaze was able to locate the woman who was under a bridge and in a coma. Doctors believed that if the woman hadn't been found when she was, she most surely would have died from her injuries. Thanks to Kaze, she left the hospital several days later.

Michael had recently returned home from the hospital after undergoing a routine surgical procedure. Unable to climb the stairs in his home, he opted to sleep on the couch instead. Buster was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with Michael's wife, Barbara.

Awakened from a deep sleep by Buster loudly barking at the bedroom door, opening the bedroom door and following Buster downstairs, she found Michael on the floor. He had fallen into a piece of furniture face first and was unconscious, bleeding profusely from having a serious eye injury. Thanks to Buster's quick thinking, Michael received the medical attention he needed and has suffered no lasting repercussions of his fall.

Katie Crosley and her son Jace had retired for the night. Silently an electrical short had resulted in a fire that engulfed their home. That's when their beloved Dachsund, True, sped into action. Though blind, deaf and with only three legs, True barked and nudged Kathy until she awakened and then led she and her son out of the house to safety. Kathy believes they would have perished if it were not for the love and actions of True.

Despite what many people think, Pit Bulls are loving, devoted family dogs. Lefty proved that when one night intruders broke into his house and were stealing his owners possessions. Defending his home and protecting his owners, Lefty charged and was shot in the shoulder by the intruder. Undaunted, Lefty attacked the intruder, chasing him away.

With many of their possessions stolen by the intruder, the family did not have the money to pay for Lefty's vet bills. Happily, the community rallied and raised enough money for Lefty's treatment. Though his leg had to be amputated, he tools around his home like he was born that way.

Labrador Retrievers are naturally strong swimmers; fourteen month old children are not. So when Stanley Drauch accidentally fell into his backyard swimming, the family's Black Lab, Bear, jumped right in after him. Maneuvering his body so that Stanley's head rested on his back, Bear was dog paddling toward the edge of the pool when Stanley's mom came out to find him laying on the dog's back in the pool. Thankfully, Stanley was fine and his parents have installed a fence around the pool.

If you have not read this book, you should. I absolutely loved it. It is the true story of a diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska and the courageous actions taken by men and their sled dogs to get the citizens of Nome the medicine they need before it's too late.

Dogs give us so much. It's time we gave back in kind. So if you're thinking about getting a pet, consider a rescue. You won't be disappointed. Please also do remember to spay or neuter your pet.