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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Dogs have been trained to assist people is all walks of life for decades and beyond. This is not a new concept.

Some brief description of the more well known types of service dogs are:

• Guide Dogs - they assist blind or sight impaired persons by guiding them safely around obstacles, through traffic and sidewalks, up and down stairs, etc.
• Hearing Dog - they alert the hearing impaired to sounds such as the phone, doorbell, microwave, alarms, etc.
• Mobility Assist Dog - they can do such things as pull a wheelchair, carry things in a specially designed backpack, pick up items and open and close doors
• Seizure Alert Dogs - these dogs are trained to help when their handler has a seizure by staying with them or going for help as need be. Many are trained to call 911 for assistance through an already set up system. Many of these dogs can even alert their handler or help when a seizure is coming on due to the fact that they can sense the chemical changes.

And then there are the Ssig Dogs, dogs trained to work with autistic partners.

How do service dogs help children with autism? Service dogs for autism assist children in several ways: Service dogs provide the child/adult challenged with autism an opportunity to safely access different environments which result in improved communication and social skills. The autism service dog’s presence offers a calming influence and provides a sense of security to the child and the parents. Abstract and concrete thinking advance, focus improves, and the length of attention span increases. Emotional outbursts occur less often. The important role of an autism service dog is affording the individual more independence and autonomy, helping those individuals become a viable part of the community at large. Here’s the story of how one child’s life was changed by one of these incredible dog heros! Read more… »

Animal Miracle Foundation is a Washington state based foundation that aims to raise the awareness of about pet and wildlife issues. Sponsoring three special ‘dog’ awareness days, National Puppy Day on March 23,  National Dog Day on Aug. 26 and National Mutt Day on Dec. 2 to highlight the high number of dogs in shelters that need homes, it has chosen it’s Hero Dog of 2008.

Maya, who in June of 2007, saved her human companion, Angela Marcelino, from a violent attack and rape at the hands of an intruder who stood in wait is the Animal Miracle Foundation’s Hero Dog of 2008.

Not only did Maya save Marcelino, she was also instrumental in the conviction of the attacker, Anthony Easley, 37, due to DNA from blood that was taken from Maya’s fur after she attacked the would-be attacker.

For Angela Marcelino, she’s proud of Maya receiving the honor but not surprised that the ever gentle and sweet Maya came to her rescue when she did. You see, Marcelino rescued Maya when the now 5 year old, 25 pound, pit bull mix was only 3 months old and they have been companions ever since.

So not only does this award honor Maya, it’s “a testament to the fact that the pit bull breed can be hero dogs just like any other breed,” Colleen Paige, founder of the group, said in a statement.

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Just a warning… get your tissues out for this one!

The Old Man and The Dog

by Catherine Moore

‘Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!’ My father yelled at me.

‘Can’t you do anything right?’

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another battle.

‘I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.’ My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil.

What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

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Wednesday evening, an Eagan, Minnesota woman, Cathy Mining, was exercising in her basement on her treadmill wearing headphone when her Labrador puppy started jumping on and off the couch and acting strange. Her 4 month old puppy Riley, that she’s only had since Thanksgiving,would not stop barking.

When she took off her headphones, she then heard the fire alarms and went upstairs to find her living room already engulfed in flames.

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Meet K-9 Officer Rocky, now that’s a good dog!! Assigned to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Omaha, Nebraska, Rocky sniffed out 90 packages, approximately 1940 lbs of marijuana with a street value of about $3 million dollars!

On Wednesday afternoon, Douglas County deputies stopped and searched a camper along I-80 east, near the 96th Street interchange, on Wednesday afternoon after seeing its license plate was partially obscured.

The driver, Stanley L. Suojanen, 28, appeared nervous, Marty Bilek, chief deputy for the sheriff’s office said. He also denied deputies entrance when they requested to search his camper. That’s when drug dog, K-9 Officer Rocky was brought in to do his job. Rocky and the deputy circled the vehicle as per procedure

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Candace Jennings of Idaho City, Idaho, may only be alive today thanks to an abused dog that she rescued, who saved her life twice when her home caught on fire. Thanksgiving Day was truly a day of thanks for Candace Jennings when Anna, a blue heeler she adopted from an animal shelter nudged and howled at 3:30 am until Jennings awoke to find her mobile home engulfed in flames.

“Anna woke me up,” Jennings said. “I had an awful headache. The place was filled with smoke.”

The two escaped the home but Jennings felt she needed to go back and get some keys the she used in her job, keys that belonged to other people.

“I’m a janitor in town,” she said. “I had everyone’s keys in my backpack. I had to go back and get them.”

Once back in the house she became disoriented and overcome by smoke, she couldn’t find her way back out. Anna, who followed her back in the burning structure led her back out, again.

“I couldn’t find the door,” said Jennings. “She pushed on me, she nudged me out the door.”

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So often we hear horror stories of pit bull bites and maulings and the media plays them up and continues to reinforce the pit bull as a vicious dog. Well, he’s a pit bull bite story that we can applaud.

Not only did Maya, a floppy eared, 4 yr old pit bull, save her owner from what could have been a vicious sexual attach, she also helped to nap the ‘bad guy.’

The sun was just coming up June 17 and the 31-year-old single mom - who asked not to be identified - was coming back to an empty house. Although she had spent the evening celebrating her birthday at the San Pablo Casino, her spirits were low - she had recently lost her job.

As she started to unlock her front door, she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. Someone shoved her from behind.

“My boyfriend works for the police department,” she screamed at the mysterious intruder, “and he will be home any minute.”

The desperate fib died in her throat as the man began strangling her. “Shut up,” he growled as she tried to stab him with her keys.

“Then, I saw my dog’s white streak coming from the other room,” the victim said. “Maya,” she gurgled, “get him!”

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