Can a dog be a hero? These people sure think so.
GOOD DOG: Blue, a two-year-old Australian Blue Heeler
WHAT HE DID: One evening in 2001, Ruth Gay of Fort Myers, Florida, was out walking her dog when she accidentally slipped on some wet grass and fell. The 84-year-old woman couldn’t get up, and no one heard her cries for help—except a 12-foot alligator that crawled out of a nearby canal. Gay probably would have been gator food if Blue hadn’t been there to protect her. The 35-pound dog fought with the gator, snarling and snapping until the reptile finally turned tail. Then Blue ran home barking, alerting Gay’s family that she was in trouble. Gay was saved. And Blue? He was treated for 30 puncture wounds. “It’s amazing what an animal will do in a time of need,” said the vet. “He’s a pretty brave dog.”
GOOD DOG: Trixie, a six-year-old mixed breed
WHAT SHE DID: In 1991, 75-year-old Jack Fyfe of Sydney, Australia, was home alone when he suffered a paralyzing stroke. Unable to move, he lay helpless, waiting for someone to discover him as the temperature outside climbed to 90 degrees. Fyfe was crying for water—and that’s just what Trixie brought him. She found a towel, soaked it in her water dish, then laid it across Fyfe’s face so he could suck out the moisture. She repeated this every day until her water dish ran dry, then she dipped the towel in the toilet. After nine days, Fyfe’s daughter stopped by and found him—still alive…thanks to Trixie.
GOOD DOG: Sadie, an English Setter
WHAT SHE DID: Michael Miller was walking Sadie when he had a massive heart attack. He was unconscious, but his hand was still wrapped around Sadie’s leash. Sadie tried to revive him by licking his face. When that failed, the 45-pound dog began pulling the 180-pound man toward home. For an hour and a half the dog labored to pull his body homeward, a third of a mile away. Finally reaching the back door, the dog howled until Miller’s wife came out. Because of the dog’s heroism, Miller recovered.
Poll result: 38% of teenage girls in the U.S. say they “think about their weight constantly.”