No Job is Too Big, No Pup is Too Small!

Malayna Elrod, Writer

People have always seemed to have a soft spot for heroic dogs. Whether it’s TV classics like Lassie or heart-warming family films like Homeward Bound, the idea of dogs rescuing their human masters (or even complete strangers) captures our love and affection as few other things do. Brutis was a 7 year old golden retriever when he became a hero in 2004. That’s when the lovable pooch snatched up a coral snake as it was slithering dangerously close to a young child, suffering a near-deadly bite from the snake in the process. His heroics did not go unnoticed however, as Brutis was promptly flown to Los Angeles to receive the National Hero Dog award. Hurricane Katrina was a miserable occurrence for everyone down south, but inspiring stories of heroism have helped give victims something to smile about. That’s certainly the case with Katrina, the ironically named black Labrador who saved a drowning man before rising flood waters claimed his life. The dog, who was later rescued herself by rescue teams, was honored at that year’s Genesis Awards with a standing ovation. Lastly, 2007’s Dog of the Year winner was Moti, the five year old German Shepherd who literally took a bullet for his human family. When a masked intruder made his way into the Patel household, Moti wasted little time, leaping to his feet and barking to draw the gunman’s attention. Faced with the angry pooch, the gunman shot him and ran off without harming any of the Patels. Luckily, this furry hero made a full recovery.