Not all heroes wear capes - some wear collars instead! When we're in desperate need of help, our furry friends are always by our sides. Here are courageous pets who saved their owners from dangerous situations.
Tara the Cat
On a sunny day in 2014, a four-year-old boy took his tricycle out for a little spin in the driveway. Out of nowhere, the neighbor's dog came running toward him to attack, pulling aggressively at his jeans and dragging him off the bike.
Luckily, the family cat, Tara, saw all of this. Instantly, she ran towards the scene. She sprung onto the dog viciously, pushing him away from the boy and chasing him away. For her heroism, Tara was the first cat to be awarded the Hero Dog Award. And the security footage of her heroic act has since gained 50+ million views online.
Shelby the Shepherd
One day, Louise Robillard took her dog, Shelby, for a walk on a nearby route - not too far from her home. She and Shelby stopped when they saw three black bear cubs in their path, but their mother didn't seem to be with them. Little did they know that mama bear is always watching!
The mother, believing Shelby and Louise were a threat to her babies, charged at the two walkers. Shelby jumped in front of Louise, protecting her from any further danger. Although she was severely wounded at first, she eventually made a full recovery and was added to the Purina Hall of Fame for her courage!
Masha the cat
Masha was a stray cat that lived in a Russian apartment complex and was always friendly to the building's residents. As a result, she was frequently given food and attention. One day, the residents noticed she was constantly meowing, which they found unusual.
One of the people who lived in the building went to check on Masha. Sure enough, they found her lying on top of an abandoned baby, left in a cardboard box. She was trying to keep the baby warm in the cold Russian winter, meowing for help. The baby was rushed to the hospital and survived - all thanks to Masha, who was made a hero.
Bear the Lab
Bear, the Drauch family's black labrador retriever, showed real loyalty when he helped save their son from a dangerous fate. The boy's mother, Patricia, was busy in the garage one day. Little did she know, on the other side of the house, her son wandered into the backyard and accidentally fell into the pool.
Bear jumped into the pool after the boy, carrying him on his back so that his head remained above the water. Minutes later, the family found the boy, who was unresponsive and rushed him to the nearest fire station, where he was revived. Bear very likely saved the child's life!
Khan the Doberman
17-month old Charlotte Svillcic was saved in her family's yard by the their Doberman, whom they had rescued just a few days before. To the mother's horror, Khan picked baby Charlotte up in his teeth and threw her behind him on the grass, snarling. Charlotte's mother ran outside, assuming the dog was going to attack her baby.
But it all made sense once she saw a deadly snake inches from where Charlotte had been standing. Khan had seen the snake and moved the baby away from it. He was unfortunately bitten by it, but recovered after he was given an anti-venom shot. The girl's mother later shared, "We owe him for the rest of his life."
Sadie the Shepherd
Sadie the hero saved her owner's life with her cleverness. The dog had been unwanted for several years, rejected by a few shelters for "behavioral problems." However, she was given another chance by 59-year-old Brian Meyers, who decided to adopt her.
One day, Brian suffered a stroke in his home and lay on the floor, unable to move. Sadie rushed to her owner, licking his face to keep him conscious. She pulled him towards his phone, and he was then able to call for help. Brian FaceTimed with Sadie during his stay at the hospital and was reunited with her upon his release.
Willie the Parrot
Willie the parrot prevented a horrible situation from unfolding when he helped a babysitter save an infant's life. For just a moment, the sitter had left the room where the child she was watching was eating breakfast. Suddenly, Willie began to shriek "Mama! Baby!" from his cage - something he had never done before.
Knowing something was terribly wrong, the babysitter came rushing back to the room. She found the baby was choking on some food and was apparently unable to breathe. The caretaker then saved the kid's life by performing the Heimlich maneuver. Willie was later made an animal hero by the American Red Cross.
Clover the Maremma
While out on a walk one day with her dog, a Canadian woman suffered a dangerous seizure and suddenly collapsed. Thanks to a neighbor's security camera, we're able to see what the dog did next. Although she was confused at first, Clover knew what she had to do.
Freeing the leash from her owner's grip, the dog walked onto the street with the leash in her mouth. A truck was forced to stop in the middle of the road when he saw Clover. After looking around, he saw the dog's owner lying down, unconscious, and understood. After being treated by paramedics, the woman made a full recovery.
Kelsey the Golden Retriever
One snowy evening in Michigan, a man went outside on his property to collect some firewood. While he was outside, he fell onto the snow and became paralyzed, unable to move a muscle. He had no neighbors around for miles, and no one heard his cries for help.
Fortunately, his dog Kelsey was an intelligent canine and knew what to do to help her owner. She lay on top of him to keep him warm and didn't stop howling all night long for help. In the morning, one of the man's neighbors walked by, and saw Kelsey and her owner. The man was taken to the hospital immediately and survived.
Fluffy the Cat
84-year-old Ron Williams' special bond with his cat, Fluffly, came in handy when he was in desperate need of help. Williams always talked to his cat around the house, treating her like a companion - which she very much was. One particular thing he enjoyed doing was singing a playful tune whenever the phone rang.
One day, Williams slipped and fell in the shower, unable to move for 15 hours. Then he had an idea: he cried out the tune he always sang when the phone rang. Fluffy came rushing to the phone on the bathroom counter and pushed it onto the floor, where it fell next to Williams. The elderly man was then able to call for help.
Lilly the Pitbull
One day in 2020, Christine Spain was walking her dog, a pit bull named Lilly, along train tracks. On their walk, Christine lost consciousness and fell onto the train tracks. The scariest part is what came next: a train was approaching, unable to stop, while Christine was still lying on the tracks.
The engineer shared that he had pulled all of the emergency brakes but that he was almost certain the train wouldn't be able to stop in time. Miraculously, however, Lilly was able to pull her owner off the tracks just before the train passed. She was severely injured herself, although she eventually made a full recovery.
Killian the Lab
Following their move to South Carolina, the Jordan family hired a nanny to take care of their baby while they weren't home. But there was one family member who did not like the nanny at all: Killian the lab. He growled and displayed a hostile attitude toward her, leaving the Jordans embarrassed and bewildered at his behavior.
The dog wasn't giving the nanny a break, so the family decided to leave an iPhone under the couch to record what was happening while they were away. The recording horrifyingly revealed that the nanny was hitting and yelling at the child. The recording was then used to send the nanny to jail, and Killian became the family hero.
Lulu the Pot-Bellied Pig
Jo Ann Altsman's heart attack in 1998 left her lying on the floor of her home, calling for help. Her pet pig knew that no one was around to hear, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She squeezed herself under the fence of the yard, causing herself to bleed from several scratches, and rushed to lay on the street.
She wasn't able to get anyone's attention at first - until one driver noticed the bleeding pig. When he approached, Lulu ran towards the house, and the driver then heard Jo Ann's cries for help. Doctors later said she had only had a few minutes till it was too late. A bronze statue stands in the Louisville zoo in Lulu's honor.
Honey the Cocker Spaniel
Michael Bosch suffered severe injuries, including broken ribs and internal bleeding, when he crashed his car one day while driving with his dog Honey. He got his beloved dog out of the car through the broken glass, careful not to harm her, and told her: "go home, baby." She ran up the street and vanished.
To his amazement, someone came to his rescue hours later. As it turns out, Honey had gone to the neighbor's house and led him back to the scene where the car crashed. Bosch was rushed to the hospital, where he recovered and was united with Honey. She was named Dog of the Year in 2006.
Lefty the Pitbull
A home was robbed in 2013 when four thieves intruded, weapons in hand. The owner of the house went to check what was causing all the noise. He found the robbers with their weapons pointed at him. In a selfless act of bravery, his pitbull, Lefty, jumped in front of him at the last second, taking the hit that was fired.
The intruders left, and Lefty was severely injured. Although she did have to have one leg amputated, she was able to potentially save the life of her owner. She was back at home with the family three weeks later, where she was celebrated as a selfless heroine.
Bubu the Chihuahua
88-year-old Rudy Armstrong found himself in desperate need of help one day when he felt his limbs slowly becoming paralyzed. He called out to his chihuahua and put one hand on her head: "go get Kim," he said in a serious tone that he had never used before.
The dog seemed to sense the urgency and ran off to fetch Kim, who followed her back to Armstrong. Kim called an ambulance when she saw that Armstrong needed immediate medical assistance. They later discovered that he had had a stroke, and his furry companion was right by his side to get him the help he needed.
Edgar the Hound
In 2019, Edgar the hound helped prevent a tragedy at the Lambert household when he continued barking incessantly. What had happened? Sure enough, Edgar's curious owner got out of bed to go calm him down. But when he did, he heard footsteps running down the stairs and out the front door.
About a week later, a man who was taken into custody by police confessed that he had been at the Lamberts' home, trying to kidnap one of their daughters. He said he was scared away by the family's dog, who wouldn't stop barking. Edgar saved the day when he blocked the man's attempts to make it into the bedrooms.
Babu the Shih Tzu
Babu the Shih Tzu wasn't the type of dog who loved the outdoors. But when her owner saw her becoming very anxious and uneasy one day, she decided a walk may help her calm down. On the walk, Babu kept insisting to take a route that led much farther away from their house.
Although her owner didn't immediately understand why Babu was behaving this way, a few minutes later, it all became clear. She heard a rumbling sound and saw a giant tsunami flood her home, where they had been only minutes before. She was lucky to have her furry friend around to foresee the catastrophe before it was too late!
Gatubela the Cat
Gatubela the cat possibly saved 1-year-old Samuel's life one day when she saw the youngster heading towards danger. The toddler had climbed out of his crib after a nap and was making his way toward the bedroom door. Behind closed doors was a very steep stairway leading to the downstairs floor.
Gatubela, seeing this, knew she was the only one around to stop Samuel from putting himself in such danger. The nanny cameras showed her pushing Samuel with all of her strength away from the door and towards the bed. Quite the family hero, Gatubela was!
Gracie the Cat
One night, Annette Shanahan of Wisconsin was feeling weak and disoriented. Suddenly, she fell into a nearby chair. Shanahan's family had no idea what was happening until their fluffy brown tabby cat, Gracie, pounded on the bedroom door, trying to alert them of something.
The cat had detected a dangerously high level of carbon monoxide in the air. When her owners came outside of the room and were unable to breathe, they understood what Gracie was trying to tell them and called 911. Annette's husband later said he would have slept through the leak if it hadn't been for Gracie.
Sako the Shepherd
One day, Joseph Phillips-Garcia decided to go on a fishing trip with his aunt and shepherd dog, Sako. An unfortunate accident occurred on the trip, in which the car fell down a dangerous cliff. Only Sako and Joseph survived and fell out of the car.
Sako kept Joseph warm all night and helped him move down to the creek so that he could reach the water to drink. He even protected Joseph when a pack of coyotes attacked. After they returned home safely, Joseph's mother said, "He saved my son's life," referring to Sako.
Ted the Collie Mix
Josie Conlon was taken by surprise one day when her collie, Ted, began to cry and paw at her chest. Since Ted wasn't didn't usually exhibit affectionate behavior, Joise said she knew something strange was happening. She touched her hand to her chest and realized there was a bump growing there.
She made an appointment to see her GP and found out that the lump in her chest was cancerous. Within two weeks, before she was even scheduled for an operation, she realized the lump had already grown in size. She believed that if it hadn't been for Ted, the situation could have been far worse than it was.
Pudding the Cat
Amy Jung and her son went to a nearby shelter in Wisconsin one day, to play with the cats that lived there. A change in their plans eventually led to them adopting one of the cats, Pudding, who had been in and out of there since 2003. Little did they know this adoption would potentially change their lives.
Hours after the adoption, Amy had a diabetic seizure in her sleep. There to wake her up was little Pudding, who had sensed that something was wrong. After Amy woke up and realized what was going on, she was able to call for help. "If something or someone hadn't pulled me out of that, I wouldn't be here," she reflected.
Capone the Pinscher Mix
Angela Fullmer was a working mother of nine who lived in Des Moines, Iowa and had her children, as well as two dogs, to care for. One night, her dog Capone wouldn't stop barking, even when she tried to quiet him down. Sensing something was wrong, Angela followed him to the kitchen.
She was horrified to find out that the electric cord of the microwave was on fire. She knew that trying to put out an electric fire was a dangerous thing to do, so she began to evacuate her children and dogs out of the home. Although the house burned to the ground, Angela's entire family was safe, thanks to Capone!
Tommy the Cat
Tommy the Cat is a hero for the headlines. His owner, Gary Rosheisen, had high blood pressure and adopted Tommy, hoping that he would help him with the condition. Unfortunately, Gary fell out of his wheelchair one day, and there was no one around to help except Tommy.
The police received a phone call from the house, and when they arrived, the orange cat was lying by the phone. "I know it sounds kind of weird," Officer Patrick Daugherty said. But there seemed to be no other explanation. Rosheisen later mentioned that he'd tried to train Tommy to dial 911 but was never sure if it had worked.
Peanut the Rescue Puppy
Peanut the puppy was adopted by a family after her previous owner was convicted of animal abuse. One day, Peanut began running up and down the stairs in their house, barking loudly to her owners. It wasn't apparent what was wrong, so they followed her outside to see what the fuss was about.
Peanut led her owners to a ditch, where a 3-year-old little girl was curled up into a ball, freezing, with no clothes on. Thanks to the dog, the girl was taken into custody by Child Protective Services and was given a new home. Although she suffered a dark past, Peanut had a huge heart and used it to save the girl's life!
Fidge the Kitten
Fidge the kitten saved her owner's life by alerting her to a disease she didn't know she had. Every night, the 10-month-old kitten would jump onto Wendy Humphrey's chest while she lay on the couch. Wendy eventually sensed that something was wrong and went to her GP.
She found out that she had a cancerous lump in her breast, which would have been lethal, had she not noticed it in time. The 52-year-old mother was later scheduled to undergo chemotherapy, which would save her life. She shared that the 10-month old kitten was her hero.
Dopey the Golden Retriever
Dopey the golden retriever was gifted with a sixth sense - he's able to discover seizures before they even happen. The dog began helping 12-year-old Britton Voss, who had severe epilepsy, in 2013. He's trained to notify the boy's teachers and parents just before Britton has a seizure and even knows to fetch Britton's medicine!
Not only that, but the dog can sense the seizures coming an hour in advance! One time, Dopey kicked at Britton's pregnant mother's belly to let her know something was wrong. An hour later, Britton began to seize. Sometimes, when he can't stop or prevent an episode, Dopey licks the boy's face until the seizing stops.
Apollo the Pitbull Puppy
Five-month-old Apollo loved to take walks with Maya Fairweather, his owner's girlfriend. One night, Maya decided to take Apollo to a nearby park. When they got to the park, she had her headphones in her ears and wasn't aware of the danger that awaited her.
She recalled that she felt someone yank her headphones out and turned around to find a strange man grabbing at her. The man pinned her down and tried to attack her. Apollo came to her rescue, biting the man on his leg so hard that he had to let go. Maya was able to escape, thanks to Apollo.
Blake the Cat
Glen Schallman, an elderly man with three separate brain diseases, adopted Blake, his one-year-old cat, from a PetSmart in Texas. Every day, Blake thanks his owner for taking him in by "waking him up" from seizures that happen to Glen while he's asleep.
Although he never received any formal training, Blake is apparently able to tell when a seizure is about to happen before it actually does. Whenever he detects one about to come on, he bites Glen's toes at night to alert him. Because of Blake's sixth sense, Glen is believed to be the oldest living person with his brain conditions.