My Sappy Little Rant

We often hear about pet heroes whether it be on the news, from an online article, or even just by word of mouth.  I've never actually owned a hero pet, other than they are all heroes of the heart in some way or another (you're free to get teary-eyed now).  I often say that Bill, our male tweenie (in between a miniature dachshund and a standard dachshund) was my hero when I fell on concrete and busted my chin open, but he was only a hero in that he wouldn't leave my side when he's known to wander off-leash.  That's huge for Bill, but not for what we see on TV.

Our late German shepherd mix, Becki, could sense a good person from a bad person from the moment he or she stepped foot in the house.  I was always very wary of the people she didn't like.  But she never really came to our rescue.

And Goldie, the golden retriever we had when I was growing up, was your stereotypical golden.  She would invite a robber into the house with the hope of getting a belly rub.

At least that's what I always thought the typical golden was like.  That's how 99.9% of the goldens I've met have been, and they're popular enough that I've met more than I can remember.  But they're smart buggers, too.  The Animal Rescue Site highlights the story of Calamity Jane, a three-legged golden who came to the rescue of her neighbors because she sensed danger.

I can't say Jane's story is particularly unique as I've heard stories like this time and time again, but I always find it fascinating how brave and selfless our animals are (or are we their pets?) when they come to our aid.

How many times do we not even give them a choice, and yet they go through ruins and hazards to save us?  We pick out the most promising pups and train them to be search and rescue dogs--we choose their futures of heroism--but they don't say, "Well, I'd much rather study Latin, Dad."

It makes me wonder if this rescue-mechanism is programmed into their brains.  Even cats and birds make the news for these so-called miraculous acts of bravery and heroism.  What if humans were so loyal and selfless?  I'm talking all humans, not just the select few that risk their lives every day on search and rescue teams, as fire-fighters and police-people, etc.

Maybe it's that survival instinct that's still so closely imbedded in their DNA, not only for their own survival but the survival of the pack.  We've invented so many objects to help us survive and "civilized" ourselves to the point that we've forgotten how important basic instinct is.

We can learn a lot from these guys. (Beyond how Bill barking at me right now probably means he really has to go...NOW.)