If it wasn’t enough that your faithful companion is already the love of your life, today we would like to celebrate dogs from all over the world who have made a genuine impact on both their owner’s lives, but ours too. Their examples of bravery and loyalty are just a few more reasons why we should cherish the relationship we have with this very unique and special animal.
Below are brief descriptions of just a few amazing dogs from history and around the world.
Hachikō – a famous Akita dog in Japan who became known for his loyalty to his owner. Hachikō would wait for his owner at the train station every day, even after his owner passed away, and this touching story made him a symbol of loyalty in Japan.
Greyfriars Bobby – a Skye Terrier who became famous for his loyalty to his owner. Bobby was said to have guarded his owner’s grave at Greyfriars Kirkyard for 14 years, until his own death. The story of Greyfriars Bobby has been widely popularized, including a book and a movie, and a statue of Bobby now stands in Edinburgh to commemorate his story.
Rin Tin Tin – a German Shepherd who became a Hollywood star and war hero in the 1920s and 1930s.
Stubby – a Boston Terrier who served as a sergeant in World War I and became the most decorated war dog of his time.
Balto – a Siberian Husky who led a team of sled dogs in the famous 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska.
Smoky – a Yorkshire Terrier who served as a war dog in World War II and is credited with saving many lives.
Laika – a stray dog from the streets of Moscow who became the first animal to orbit the Earth.
Balto – a sled dog who led a team to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska in 1925.
Ricki – a search and rescue dog who worked at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.
Stubby – a Bull Terrier mix and war dog who served in World War I.
Chips – a dog who served in World War II and received several medals for bravery.
Diesel – a police dog who died in the line of duty during a raid in Paris, France.
Aiden – a guide dog who saved his blind owner from a house fire.
Kelso – a search and rescue dog who participated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Leo – a police dog who was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery during the London Blitz in World War II.
Buddy – a Labrador Retriever who found a missing child in the woods.
Duke – a Great Dane who saved his owner’s baby from choking.
Shadow – a black Labrador who saved his owner from a snake bite.
Daisy – a Golden Retriever who alerted her owners to a gas leak in the house, saving their lives.
Finn – a police dog who saved his handler from a stabbing attack.
Zeus – a Great Dane who saved a little girl from a cougar attack.
Hope – a Border Collie who saved her owner from drowning by pulling her to shore.
Figo – a guide dog who threw himself in front of a bus to save his owner. Not only did Figo survive, he recovered fully and eventually went back to work for his owner.
Delta – a guard dog whose remains were found in the excavations at Vesuvius. His collar had engraved the dog’s heroic acts. On 3 separate occasions Delta saved the life of the owner’s child Severinus – once from drowning, once from a wolf and once from the attack of 4 men. In a final act of bravery, Delta’s body was found laid across the body of a child (presumably Severinus) to protect the child from the fatal explosion of the Vesuvius volcano.
Peritas – a Mastiff or Greyhound of Alexander the Great. Bit elephants’ lip defending his master. When he died a city was named after him (location unknown, but it was probably in Pakistan) and statues erected.
Jofi – a Chow Chow owned by Sigmund Freud. Freud noticed that the patients who he treated when Jofi was the room showed improvement faster than those who were treated when Jofi wasn’t. This lead to the invention of the therapy dog.