Pets Saving Lives: Guest post was written and contributed by Amy Fowler for House of Paws, suppliers of luxury dog beds. Read more from House of Paws here. Please note that the included images are not images of the actual pets concerned.
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The health benefits of pet ownership are well known; stroking a pet can help to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Pets also offer valuable companionship, and can help to reduce depression and improve the general wellbeing of people who are isolated, or suffer from serious health conditions.
However, one rarely considered benefit of pet ownership is the possibility that your pet could save your life. Here are a few amazing stories of how dogs, cats, and even birds, have saved the lives of their owners.
Dog vs. Snake
A loyal Doberman pinscher called Khan saved the life of a 17-month old baby when a snake crawled into the yard where the baby was playing. Khan picked the baby up by her diaper, and threw her to safety. This movement attracted the attention of the snake, and Khan was bitten on the paw. Fortunately, he made a full recovery after receiving treatment for the bite.
A Carbon Monoxide Detecting Cat!
Carbon monoxide is tasteless and odourless, and it can kill quickly. When a gas-powered water pump began leaking carbon monoxide into the home of the Keesling family, it wasn’t a carbon monoxide detector that saved them, it was the family cat. The cat nudged and meowed at Cathy Keesling until she woke up. Mrs Keesling was already dizzy and ill from the fumes, and her husband and son were unconscious. Mrs Keesling managed to get to safety and call an ambulance, and the entire family was saved.
The Watchful Parrot
Willie, a Quaker parrot, saved the life of 2 year-old Hannah Kuusk when Hannah started to choke. The child’s babysitter had gone to the bathroom, and came running back into the room with the child when the parrot started screaming “Mama baby”, and flapping his wings frantically. The babysitter noticed that the child’s face had turned blue. She performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on the child, saving her life. The parrot was presented with the Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award.
Intruder Alert
Proving that a dog really is man’s best friend, the two-year old pit bull, D-Boy, saved the life of his owner Roberta Trawick, when the family home was broken into. The dog charged into the room where the intruder was, and tried to chase him away. The intruder fired several shots, hitting the pit bull three times. D-Boy, who the Trawicks had recently rescued from an abusive home, was hit three times, but chose to keep chasing the intruder away.
The Goat That Fed Her Owner
When farm owner noel Osborne fell over and shattered his hip, he probably didn’t expect his animals to take care of him, but that’s exactly what happened. For five days, Mandy, one of his goats, huddled by his side to keep him warm during cold and stormy nights, and allowed him to milk her for sustenance.
Heart-warming stories of heroic animals are always nice to see, and they’re a great reminder that our loving pets may well be smarter than we give them credit for.
Guest post was written and contributed by Amy Fowler for House of Paws, suppliers of luxury dog beds. Read more from House of Paws here.
Please note that the included images are not images of the actual pets concerned.
