Just off a 13 week training course, Drug Enforcement Investigator Sonny Smith and 1 1/2 year old German Shepherd, Chico, a trained narcotics dog, made a big hit or bust the first day on the job, worth about $100K! Way to go Chico!!

You’ve got to have the greatest respect for these dogs and their handlers. Sure, we’re heard some stories that are not so positive but all in all, these incredibly trained service dogs and their handlers are an unbeatable team. The dogs are true canine heros!

Chico, who was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Denton County, was trained at the Canine Enforcement Training Center in Washington, D.C. The training is designed to teach law enforcement officers all aspects on handling, training and employing a detector dog.

“The dogs are worth $15,000 but we were able to get this one for $5,000 because of Sonny Smith, who has an excellent reputation in law enforcement,” said Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Wawro.

“He’s a very passive dog,” Smith said. “Not aggressive with people. They train them to be very independent of their handlers. He has a routine that he does on his own with a people search. He does it for his reward, which is his towel. He’s very possessive of his towel and he knows he will get it afterward.”

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Yesterday morning two men kicked down 40 yr old Cathie Coluzzi’s front door to her Hudson, FL home. The stole $130 in cash from her purse then started shooting her.

“They started shooting me with a pellet gun,” Cathie Coluzzi said. “The guy tried to grab the phone out of my hand and the dog started biting him.”

Her faithful dog, Baxter, a 8 year old Boxer jumped into the fray, biting the men and chasing them, saving her life but sadly he lost his own. One of the men turned around and shot Baxter between the shoulder blade. The injury was so grievous that her had to be put to sleep.

And Cathie says this is not the first time that Baxter saved her life. In 2007 her space heater failed and the temperature dropped to 30 degrees. Baxter climbed on top of her and wouldn’t let he sleep. She called one of her sons to take her to the hospital. Without Baxter’s help she may have died of hypothermia.

“I loved that dog just like I love these kids,” Coluzzi said, pointing to her two sons, Coty, 20, and Kyle, 19. “I’m not kidding one bit.”

“He was my personal protector,” said Coluzzi, who was treated for her wounds at a local hospital. “This dog was the best dog I have ever known.”

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Jake, a 4 year old Labrador Retriever, isn’t what anyone calls a smart dog, squirrelly and hyperactive are two words more commonly used to describe the dog. But last Friday, Jake proved he was much more, he became a hero to the Bailey family.

12 Year old Tony Baily often swims in the Platte River in Omaha, NE, but recent rains turned the normally placid swimming spot into a danger. The water, usually only waist high, was 7-8 feet when Tony jumped in and the current was strong. Tony was immediately in trouble.

“It was, like, over my head and I couldn’t touch,” he said.

Yelling for help, he family picnicking only 20 feet away didn’t hear the boy but Jake did. He plunged into the river and swam toward Tony and when the boy’s popped above water, Jake was right there to pull him to safety.

“I was saying, ‘Help, help,’ and I saw him jump in, and then my head went under, and when I came up, he was right here by me,” Tony said.

Tony latched his arms around Jake’s neck and the dog pulled him to where his grateful and relieved family were waiting on shore.

“We’re standing at the bank, and Jake brought Tony right up to us,” Bailey said. “We handed Tony this long net we use for fishing. He grabbed that,” and the family pulled Tony up.

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Just goes to show you don;t have to be a big dog to be a hero!

This is a story that would have had a horrible ending had the officers on the scene been less understanding, especially in light of all the stories you see of police shooting dogs at the slightest provocation.

Wednesday night off-duty Orange County, FL sheriff’s deputy, Steve Strickland was driving home from dinner in New Smyrna Beach and saw John Pitera, 66, ill on the side of the road. He called 911 then proceeded to try to help the fallen man.

Pitera who was walking his dog Max, has a heart condition and collapsed near the intersection of Merrimac Street and South Riverside Drive.

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This one took place right here in my home state of Wisconsin and the hero pup was an eight month old Springer Spaniel, just like my Jezzie and Bruti!

Dave Emmer of N6494 Lakeshore Drive, Calumet County, WI can thank Mylo, his eight month old Springer Spaniel, Mylo for waking him and alerting him to a house fire last night.

Emmer was sleeping soundly when the fire started in the living room of his home. Three smoke alarms were going off the because the bedroom door was closed, the sound was muffled and Emmer couldn’t hear it. That’s when Mylo went into action, jumping on the bed and waking Emmer.

“He just jumped up and down on the bed about three, four times and that’s what got me up,” Emmer said.

“He was home alone in bed and his dog jumped on the bed three times,” Fire Chief Mike Brantmeiersaid. “He thought it was quite unusual. His dog never jumps on the bed.

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Here’s your dose of heart-touching oooohs and ahhs for today, you just gotta love it!

For one tiny 4 month old kangaroo, a dog out for a walk became a savior. The kangaroo’s mother had been hit by a car along a busy road and the joey was still alive in the pouch but had no way to survive. Sadly, this is a common occurrence in Australia and most of the time the babies will either perish during the accident or succumb shortly thereafter as they have no way to survive on their own.

Well, this little roo got very lucky when Leonie Allan was talking her family pet, a 10 year old German short-haired pointer cross named Max, out for a walk. They passed a dead kangaroo but something got Rex’s attention and he pointed and went to investigate. Allen though Rex probably found a snake and was quite surprised when he returned with his ‘find.’

“I was worried he’d found a snake and called him back, but when he returned he dropped the joey at my feet,” Mrs Allan said.

“I was so surprised and delighted. Rex saved the day.”

Rex has very gently removed the tiny joey from his mother’s pouch and carried him to Allen, placing the baby kangaroo at her feet, safe and sound.

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This is an old story but as touching and timely today as when it happened. Get your tissues out because it’s a real tear-jerker, trust me, I know!

It’s the story of Hachiko and Eisaburo and it took place over 80 years ago in Tokoyo. Just the fact that the story still lives, shows its incredible endurance, the endurance of a beloved dog’s love and loyalty to his master.

Hachiko, a yellow-coated Akita was born in 1923 and a few months later he went to live with Eisaburo Uyeno, a Tokoyo professor. The two became fast friends and boon companions. Every morning, Hachi, as the dog became known, would walk his beloved master to Shibuya train station as he went to work where he taught at the Imperial University and every evening Hachi would be there, tail wagging happily to meet him and walk home with him.

This happy tradition went on until 1925 when one day Professor Eisaburo didn’t show up to meet Hachi as he did every evening at the train station. Hachi waited and waited, no beloved master bounded off the train to meet Hachi’s tail wagging greeting. You see, on that sad day, Eisaburo had a stroke and died, never to return to the waiting Hachi.

Hachi was given away but turned into an escape artist and returned to his old home. Eventually he realized that his beloved Eisaburo wasn’t there so he went to the train station to wait… and wait. Every day the poor dog waited in vain for a master who would never return.

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To most of us our dogs are heroes in one way or another, maybe just by being a part of our lives and loving us unconditionally. Well here’s a dog that’s a hero to many others and has saved countless lives. Lurch is a 200 lb Mastiff and he’s a canine blood donor!

Lurch, whose since come under media spotlight, first gained notoriety after being named by the Livingston County Red Cross as one of its “Everyday Heroes.” He has donated blood some 20 times to other animals, including to one dog who got into some rat poison. He’ll receive the chapter’s “Pet’s Best Friend” award at an event in Howell, MI today.

Lurch’s owner, Joni Melvin-Thiede, said Lurch donates blood for other canines about once every four weeks. His blood has helped dozens, including saving one dog who got into some rat poison.

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