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If you own dogs, you already know how amazing they are. They offer us unconditional companionship and affection – and can make us howl with laughter – and entice us off the sofa into the pouring rain with their puppy eyes.
If you are lucky enough to work with dogs – whether you’re a groomer, walker, trainer, breeder or therapist, you’ll know how rewarding working with man’s best friend can be.
At Cliverton, we have 17 dogs between us – our own hairy heroes who come into the office every day to keep us company and give us a wag, a lick or a paw just when we need it. We all think our own dogs are the bee’s knees - but there are some pooches that really go beyond being just a canine companion.
From earthquake rescues to preventing hypothermia, we look at some of the most courageous, heroic dogs that leave Lassie standing!
Meet some of the brave dogs at home and abroad who have changed and saved lives in these extraordinary tales of a dog’s intuition, loyalty and bravery.
Search and rescue hero Echo carried out more than 70 missions with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service over a 10-year career.
The pooch and his owner, Mike Dewer, were even dispatched to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in 2010 where he helped carry out 46 building searches in just two weeks, clearing areas so firefighters did not have to put themselves at risk.
Echo became the country’s most decorated canine, being awarded the PDSA Order of Merit (the animal equivalent of the OBE), a Pride of Britain Award, Hero Dog of the Year 2010, IFAW Animal of the Year 2010 and Crufts’ Friends for Life Award 2011.
On retirement, Echo continued to promote the importance of fire safety at events to children until he died a hero.
Some of you might recognise Finn from Britain’s Got Talent, where he appeared with his owner, PC Dave Wardell, as a magic, mind-reading act.
Yet the German shepherd is also known for his role in the recently passed bill, Finn’s Law, a campaign which aims for greater legal protection for service animals.
PC Wardell and Finn were both stabbed after chasing a robbery suspect. The latter was knifed in both the chest and head, with his injuries deemed so bad he was not expected to survive. Yet Finn still kept hold of the suspect and did not let go until reinforcements arrived, with PC Wardell crediting him for saving his life.
Prior to Finn’s Law being passed, the suspect could only be charged with criminal damage and given a small fine.
After enduring horrific abuse and neglect in Romania, Fleur was rescued but three weeks after starting her new life in Britain she fell seriously ill with a rotten bowel. The vet gave her a 1% chance of survival but Wendy her owner sought a second opinion and after complex surgery, and weeks in intensive care, Fleur made a full recovery.
Fleur became a Pets As Therapy, Read2dog, going into primary schools to help children read and communicate. She also visits nursing and residential homes to provide valuable companionship and happiness to those who need a furry friend.
Military dog Mali heroically detected bombs and insurgents for the British special forces as they raided a hotel in Kabul that was occupied by the Taliban. Mali was sent through fire to sniff out explosives and detect the whereabouts of enemy troops, which he did successfully.
Despite being injured by three grenade blasts – causing damage to his chest, legs, ears and teeth – amazing Mali showed phenomenal courage and persevered in the mission which lasted 7 and a half hours.
Following his heroics, Mali retired from frontline duties after receiving treatment for his injuries and was awarded a PDSA Dickin Medal – essentially a Victoria cross for animals.
When the World Trade Center collapsed, almost 10,000 rescue workers headed to ground zero to help the search and rescue effort – and 300 of those were dogs.
One of the first on the scene was Appollo along with handler Peter Davis. The two worked up to 18 hours a day trying to find survivors, a difficult and exhausting task. In fact, the German shepherd was almost killed by flames and falling debris but luckily had fallen into a pool of water just moments before, avoiding disaster.
In 2002, the pooch received the Dickin Medal – the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross – on behalf of all of the animals who had participated in rescue operations at the sites of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
When Bob went out to get a log for his fire on a cold New Year’s Eve, he slipped in the snow and broke his neck, lying paralysed on the floor.
With his nearest neighbour a quarter of a mile away, and wearing just a shirt, long johns and slippers, the man faced a long night outside in the freezing temperatures with possible hypothermia and frostbite. But his dog Kelsey had other ideas.
The golden retriever kept Bob warm by lying on top of him and kept licking his face and hands to keep him awake. She also barked constantly and when Bob eventually lost consciousness, Kelsey saved her owner by letting out a screeching howl which eventually alerted his neighbour 19 hours later.
Frida the Labrador has seen more natural disasters than most people have in their lifetime.
The Mexican rescue dog has assisted with operations to help find survivors after many earthquakes, including the deadly 2017 earthquake in Mexico City. She has been credited with finding at least 12 people alive during her eventful career, and many more bodies, but Frida has now hung up her doggy boots and retired.
The pooch and her trainer, Israel Arauz Salinas, have both been honoured with a bronze statue in Puebla City, complete with boots and goggles!
Twelve-year-old Babu wasn’t a fan of walks. But on the morning of 11 March 2011 in Japan, the tiny shih tsu insisted his 83-year-old owner, Tami Akanuma, take her out.
What’s more, the dog dragged them in the opposite direction to the way they usually walk, baffling Tami.
Once they’d made it up a hill, Tami finally stopped to take a breather after realising they’d walked more than a kilometre in just a short time. Within a few minutes, the town where Tami and Babu lived was flattened by a wall of muddy water from a tsunami – with Babu’s sixth sense saving their lives.
After being taken in by William Thomas, Swansea Jack was encouraged by his owner to go out swimming in the sea with some of the local boys, where he got into the habit of dragging them back to shore.
As a result, the black retriever would always respond to cries for help from the water. His first rescue went largely unreported, but his second made him a local superstar with the council awarding him a silver collar.
Jack is said to have saved more than 27 people from drowning during his lifetime and has been awarded two bronze medals by The Dogs Trust.
After a fridge freezer caught fire during the night, Diesel the staffie’s quick response made sure his family escaped virtually unscathed.
The dog was sleeping at the bottom of owner Jordan Ash’s bed when he began barking, scratching and pulling at his duvet in an attempt to wake him up.
Thanks to Diesel’s quick reaction, Jordan was then able to get his parents, himself and Diesel out of the burning building. Just a few minutes later and the family would have inhaled too much carbon monoxide, meaning Diesel may not have been able to wake them.
The incident saw the brave pooch being presented with the prestigious PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross.
