10 Times Dogs Saved the Day With Their Loyalty and Bravery

Sometimes, heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear collars.

October 18, 2024

We hold our dogs in the same high regard as our closest human friends and family for a reason. (To be honest, they rank slightly higher!). Over the centuries, stories of canine loyalty have produced countless beloved books, movies, and TV shows — and not all of them have been fictional like Lassie. History is littered with tales of extraordinary dogs, from wartime heroes to intrepid search and rescuers.

Dogs have cared for our military, guided blind handlers out of perilous situations, and delivered crucial aid during natural disasters, all while bringing companionship and delight to their handlers. It’s high time we threw them a bone. (Sorry.) Here, for your perusal, are 10 of our favorite hero dogs who went above and beyond the call of duty.

Maverick

A therapy dog with an empathetic “superpower.”

Weighing in at 150 pounds, this European Blue Great Dane has a massive heart to match. A beloved USO volunteer who brings comfort to the military community, Maverick was named the winner of the 13th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards last fall. According to PR Newswire, his handler, Kelly Brownfield, believes he can intuitively figure out which people in a given room are feeling stressed. He’s known to place his paw on whomever he’s comforting, which might be the sweetest thing we’ve ever heard.

Beacon

Therapy dog to gymnasts.

This four-year-old Golden Retriever might not run into burning buildings or sprint through combat zones for a living, but he’s been a godsend to the athletes who depend on him for emotional support. He became something of a folk hero during the Olympic trials, where he helped Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team calm their nerves before they took to the floor. Beacon’s presence also signals a wider shift within USA Gymnastics, which brought him aboard as part of its mental health program, which includes provisions like licensed therapists and mindfulness sessions.

Cole

A disability advocate and so much more.

Cole’s pet parent, Chris Hannah, fell in love with him instantly; according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, just as the deaf shelter Pit Bull jumped into his arms and stared right into his soul. Hannah, a music teacher, soon found that his students were curious about Cole’s condition, and when he started bringing Cole to school, he realized that the stigma surrounding Pit Bulls made Cole a wonderful vehicle to talk about issues like prejudice. Cole now visits schools across New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Maryland and works as a certified therapy dog who volunteers with veterans and hospice patients. He reportedly knows 32 signs in American Sign Language (ASL) thanks to Hannah’s nephew Kevin, who was also born deaf.

In 2023, the ASPCA named him Dog of the Year for, as the organization put it, becoming an “ambassador for people and pets with special needs through the Team Cole Project.” Every community deserves an advocate like Cole.

Courtesy of Sigrid Seppala Hanks Collection, Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum and AKC

Balto and Togo

Fearless sled dogs

In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened to devastate the small town of Nome, Alaska, during a blizzard. An antitoxin serum was located, but it was more than 670 miles away. With air travel not possible, then governor Scott C. Bone (yes, that is his name!) requested that a team of sled dogs and mushers organize a relay to transport the life-saving package, in what is now referred to as the 1925 Nome Serum Run.

Togo, a 12-year-old Siberian Husky, led the team that covered 261 miles, reports the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. And Balto prevented his team from a deadly encounter with icy water during his own run. Appropriately, musher Gunnar Kaasen is said to have uttered three words when he and Balto’s team arrived successfully: “Damn fine dog.” If you were a kid in the ’90s, you may have watched some version of this story in the 1995 animated movie Balto. The film ends with a live-action scene featuring the actual Central Park statue of Balto, which still stands as a tribute to the hero today.

Roger

Taiwanese search-and-rescue dog

This Labrador Retriever was one of four dogs who provided crucial search-and-rescue services after Taiwan’s devastating earthquake this past April. On top of that, he became a national hero thanks to his playfulness and heart, which bolstered morale at a time when everyone sorely needed it. According to The New York Times, Roger had previously flunked out of the drug-sniffing profession because he was “too friendly and boisterous,” as his handler Lee Hsin put it. In other words, Roger is living proof that if your first career doesn’t work out, it’s probably just a sign that you’re meant to make a difference elsewhere.

Roselle

A guide dog who became a 9/11 hero

Michael Hingson, a sales director, was at work on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center’s Tower One when a hijacked airplane crashed into the building on September 11, 2001. Hingson had been blind since birth, and his guide dog, Roselle, sprang into action that day, leading him down dozens of flights of stairs until they made it to the lobby. From there, American Kennel Club (AKC) reports, the Labrador Retriever walked Hingson to safety at a friend’s home 40 blocks away.

One year later, Roselle received the Award for Canine Excellence. While Roselle certainly showed up for her dad on that horrible morning, Hingson recalls that she inspired others along the way. In 2021, he looked back on the day two decades in retrospect and told PIX11, “All the way down the stairs, the fact that I kept telling Roselle what a good job you’re doing helped a lot of other people, because they saw me focusing and being in charge of my situation.”

Layka

A Belgian Malinois with a Purple Heart

Among the most famous war dogs from the U.S., Layka worked as a military K-9 in Afghanistan. In 2013, she lost her leg after sustaining four gunshot wounds while disarming an assailant. Appropriately, Layka was awarded both the Purple Heart and the first canine Medal of Heroism since World War II. Upon returning home, Layka’s partner, U.S. Army Sgt. Julian Trent McDonald, chose to adopt her. As he told Tennessee’s 10News this April following Layka’s funeral in Knoxville, Layka had saved his life during that night raid, “so I had to take it upon myself to save hers.” She lived to age 13.

Appa

A landslide rescuer

This Golden Retriever mix became a hero of the Philippines’ search-and-rescue efforts following a deadly landslide that occurred this past February after heavy rains. According to SunStar Philippines, Appa had already served as a member of the Philippine Coast Guard for eight years by the time he located a three-year-old survivor in the Masara landslide and recovered 10 cadavers. The SunStar adds that during a prior landslide in January, Appa successfully recovered two people who had been buried alive.

Smoky

A pint-sized inspiration

Most of the dogs on this list might be on the bigger side, but Smoky — who was only seven inches tall — is proof that heroism can also come in petite packages. She served alongside her dog dad, Bill Wynne, in the Pacific Theater during World War II, weathering more than 150 air raids and one typhoon. According to Cleveland.com, she saved lives on multiple occasions; once, she warned soldiers of a fire, and she even helped engineers build an airbase by running a communications wire through a 70-foot pipe — which saved hundreds of ground crewmen from having to put themselves in harm’s way. AKC also credits Smoky as the first therapy dog in recorded history.

In 2022, Smoky was among three dogs awarded the first Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal. Robin Hutton, who created the medals and serves as president of Angels Without Wings and Animals in War & Peace, told Cleveland.com, “It was out of character for such a little Yorkie to play such a big role under combat conditions. We just never know what an animal will do to perform an act of service.”

Peanut

A self-trained rescue dog with a traumatic past

This mixed-breed baby endured horrific abuse early in her life, but one year after her adoption from a Michigan animal shelter, she saved the life of a three-year-old. Formerly named Petunia, she arrived at the shelter with broken legs and ribs. Last March, she started making noise, frantically alerting her parents that she wanted to go outside, per a viral Facebook post.

Then, she bolted into a field and located a “naked, shivering three-year-old girl curled up in a ball.” Per the Facebook post, “By the time the ambulance and police arrived, the little girl could only say one thing — ‘doggie.’ Thanks to Peanut, a little girl’s life was saved today.”

If you’re crying right now, just know you’re not alone.

References:

Laura Bradley

Laura is a New York-based experienced writer and mom of two rescue pups. When she is not writing or walking the pooches, you will probably find her in the community garden.