Man's Best Friend: Photos and Stories Of Heroic Dogs

I once heard, you wouldn't know amongst your friends and buddies who the real ones are until you experience being in a dark tunnel sometime in your life and needs a shining beacon. So, we could all be having a lot of friends but only when that time of need comes, only we will know who the ones are that will stand beside us, those that would help us unexpectedly. And when you hear the word friend, we both know what comes to one's mind, right? But sometimes, the least expected friends are the ones that comes in our rescue, risking their own lives, our pets, our four-legged friends.

With this hub, I will be sharing stories and photos of these four-legged canines that would leap into the face of death to save their two-legged friends.

Kabang, a family dog lost her face December of 2011 from saving two children which was about to be hit by an oncoming motorcycle on the province of Zamboanga City in the Philippines. The two kids were safe but the dog was severely injured.

Probably Kabang, sharing with that special bond with the kids, already know the impending tragedy that was about to happen to her master's children as the dog appeared out of thin air and struck the oncoming motorcycle with all her might.

To the good news, the dog was safe and her heroic deed was all over the news. And Kabang was now a celebrity as people who happened to knew and had watched what she did came to visit her, with gifts of foods, medicine and vitamins. She was also under the care of veterinarians and a surgery is being planned for Kabang.

Month of April, the 13th 2012, Kabang gave birth to 6 healthy puppies at the City Pound. And just 12 days after, the owner, Rudy Bunggal received a news that 5 of Kabang's puppies had died under the custody of the city's veterinary office due to low milk production. He then decided to not wait any longer and just bring Kabang home and take care of her and the one left puppy. The owners, on the other hand are being helped to get a passport and visa to go with Kabang on her surgery to California as this would help on the dog's recovery as Kabang was so attached to her owners, but the couple was having a hard time with the paper works.

A dog named Buddy became a hero as he tried to get help for his family whose stuck on their burning house.

Buddy waited for help for the police men on call and as they approach, Buddy lead the police men into the scene. The police noticing the urgency on how the dog reacts decided to follow Buddy. They were then lead to the fire.

After bringing the policemen to the burning house, the dog went back again and waited for the firefighters and lead them too on the house on fire.

Look at him smiling and probably up for a high.... I mean paw-five!

Bear is the dog who saved his owner Debbie Zeisler as she fell down, unconscious from having a seizure on her front yard one day of May of 2011.

Seeing what happened to his owner, Bear went on asking for help into the Millsap neighborhood by scratching on every front door. But without luck as nobody opened any door to see the dog looking for help for his unconscious master.

And that's when Bear was spotted by an animal control officer. The officer saw the frantic dog and wondered what was wrong. Bear then escorted the officer to his owner. Even when the ambulance came and carried Debbie, Bear showed how much he cares for his owner as the dog jumped into the ambulance to accompany his master into the hospital.

Because of this heroic deed, Bear received the 2012 30th National Hero Dog Award.

Douglas was a dog that became his owner's feet as the dog pulls his paralyzed owner's cart. Mang Tony found Douglas year 2009, after being shot in his back paralyzed him year 1988. The dog gives him companionship as he beg passersby for alms. The money would be just enough for his and the dog's meal. And whatever Mang Tony eats, Douglas eats it too. If Mang Douglas has enough money to buy separate meals for him and Douglas, he would. But if there's not enough, the two shares whatever food they can afford.

This baby, abandoned under a bridge was saved by a dog in Ghana. The dog's owner, worried about the dog not coming home, went to a search party. They then found the dog curled beside the two-week old baby boy.

The regional health director, Rosemary Azure said that the farm dog might had found the baby and so instead of going home, the dog stayed with the baby, keeping the child warm and keeping him safe.

Target ( an stray dog in Afghanistan) became a hero dog as he, and another two dog caught a bomber whose about to blow up a military base. Sadly, the other dog died as the bomber detonated himself, injuring 5 soldiers including two remaining dogs, Target and Rufus. The soldiers was so thankful to what the dogs had done, as if not from those stray dogs, dozens might had got killed or severely injured by the bombing.

Blue is a Queensland heeler who keeps a little girl safe as she got lost in the woodlands. The three year old Victoria wondered around looking for their other dog which she thought got lost. The parents noticed their little girl was missing after a while and contacted authorities for help.

With the help of the searchers, Victoria was spotted using a Department Of Public Safety helicopter after about 15 hours. Thanks to their family dog, Blue who had keep the little girl warm throughout the night and safe until they were found.

Lilly was a courageous 8 year old pit bull, the dog that saved her owners life. Lilly's owner, Christine Spain collapsed on a train track on Shirley, Massachusetts last May 4th. as the train comes approaching, the pit bull drags her owner off the track. Lilly had managed to drag her master to safety but sadly, Lilly got hit as she didn't make it in time to get off the trail to save herself.

Photo below was Lilly on the animal hospital as she recovers from surgery, with her owners son, David Lanteigne. David rescued Lilly and gave her as a gift for her mother, Christine Spain.

Lilly will need an extensive therapy to fully recover, the family was so thankful of her. And another good news for Lilly, she was named the winner of Animal Hero Award for 2012 by MSPCA.

These are only some of the many stories of dogs putting their life on line to save their owners lives, or any humans whose life is in danger.

And with this stories, it really shows that animals has the heart to care for others... the heart that sadly, some people doesn't seem to have towards animals.