Trakr, a German Shepherd, was responsible for discovering the last survivor of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre long after it was thought to be pointless. La China, of mixed parentage, rescued an abandoned baby in an Argentinian field and began to raise it with her own litter of puppies. Judy, an English pointer, warned of air attacks during WWII saving thousands of lives, before becoming a POW, where she smuggled food to starving prisoners. Paris, a boxer from Cornwall, without any training, collects rubbish and deposits it in the recycling bin. There are so many stories about dogs finding, saving, protecting and helping people – even the environment – that trying to compile a list of the world’s all-time canine heroes is impossible. Here, however, are ten worthy candidates.
10. Oberkassel
Oberkassel is the name of the dog given by the German workers in Bonn who discovered a 14,000 year old grave in which a man, a woman and a dog had been buried together as a family unit. There were other objects including something that may have been a toy for the dog. Oberkassel has claim to be the oldest canine hero…
9. Mancs
A German Shepherd, whose name translates to ‘paw’, Mancs became a vital force in Hungarian rescue, thanks to his ability to locate earthquake survivors and alert fellow rescuers. If he found someone dead beneath the rubble, he would lay down quietly; when detecting someone still alive, he would stand, bark and wag his tail.
8. Soter
The year was 465BC when the Persians attacked the ancient city of Corinth. The stealthy invaders killed the guard dogs roaming the streets in order to stop them barking out a warning. They had no such luck with Soter, who managed to alert the city’s inhabitants. His courage was rewarded by the citizens with a silver collar adorned with the inscription ‘To Soter, defender and saviour of Corinth’, and they built a statute to honour him.
7. Swansea Jack
Swansea Jack, a Newfoundland dog of unerring vigilance, saved a total of 27 people from drowning, by responding to cries for help from the water and pulling those in difficulty to safety at the dockside. His first rescue was that of a 12-year old boy in June of 1931 and he won many awards for his bravery.
6.Togo
The Great Race of Mercy took place in 1925 to ensure the small town of Nome, Alaska could be saved from the developing diphtheria epidemic. Thanks to the bravery of 150 sled dogs, the town received a supply of antitoxin serum in a transport mission that covered 674 miles in just over five days. Togo lead the pack across an incredible stretch of 260 miles of the mission, which inspired a nation-wide inoculation campaign.
5. Moustache
Moustache, a barbet, took an active part in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. His exploits include the detection and cornering of an Austrian spy at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 and returning a French flag to camp, despite losing a leg whilst under artillery fire. Moustache received a medal for his dedication and courage.
4. Gander
Gander joined the Royal Rifles of Canada in 1941 and participated in many engagements, not least the Battle of Hong Kong. He saved the lives of many, many soldiers and died in action, bravely running away with a live grenade in his mouth so as to protect his unit. There is a statue to him in his hometown in Newfoundland.
3. Smoky
Smoky, a tiny and fearless Yorkshire Terrier, was found by Corporal Bill Wynne in the jungles of New Guinea and accompanied him on countless missions. She is credited with helping to build an airbase (she pulled telegraph wire through a 70-foot pipe that was eight inches in diameter) and consoling injured troops in hospitals with her tricks. Smoky was able to walk a tightrope whilst blindfolded!
2. Mkombozi
Mkombozi is another baby-rescuing dog. She seems to have been searching for food in Nairobi, Kenya, when she came across a baby wrapped in an old shawl. She carried the baby back to where she was nursing her own puppies in a shed and its cries were heard by local children. The cries of the baby were overhead by a nearby woman and her children. After the baby had been adopted, their hero was dubbed ‘Mkombozi’, which is Swahili for ‘saviour’, and she was adopted by the local animal rescue centre.
1. Your own four-legged companion
Article by Nicholas Adams.
