Honorable Mention: Gus
Gus may not have achieved the heroic status of many of the dogs on our list, but he was a hero to many of us on a sweltering California summer day. The viral video of Gus doing battle with his backyard wading pool made us laugh and sympathize—the desire for an indoor pool clearly isn't restricted to humans. Click play on the video above to witness true dogged determination.
Tarra is a female elephant from Myanmar (Burma). A member of the endangered Asian elephant family, Tarra was one of the last elephants to be imported to the U.S. legally. Tarra spent much of her life performing in circuses, zoos, TV, and movies (she even roller-skated!). She also engaged in her favorite pastime, painting watercolor originals (she signed her name to each one when it was done). Her work has been displayed in art galleries and profiled in the media. After 21 years in show business, Tarra retired to (and was a founding member of) The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. There she was to live out the remaining decades of her life exploring the expansive refuge.
Eight years ago, a stray dog named Bella wandered onto the sanctuary. There were other stray dogs on the grounds but mostly the dogs hung out with the dogs and the elephants hung out with the elephants. But Bella and Tarra became constant companions—eating together, sleeping together, playing, exploring the grounds of the sanctuary, and going for swims and basking in the sun.
A couple of years ago, Bella suffered a spinal cord injury and lost function of her legs. While Bella lay recuperating in the sanctuary office, Tarra would not leave the gate of the building. She waited outside the building as if she were in a hospital waiting room, until Bella walked out of the building weeks later. This scare bonded them even further and they enjoyed another couple of years in each other’s company. Then tragedy struck again.
In late October 2011, Bella was attacked by coyotes and killed. It was Tarra who found her. In fact, one theory is that Tarra found Bella being attacked by the coyotes and scared them off, but not soon enough to save Bella’s life. Tenderly, Tarra picked up her friend’s body and took her to one of the places they loved to spend time and stayed with the body until the sanctuary caregivers came.
Today, Tarra continues to heal and grieve with the help of her elephant and human friends. There has been an international outpouring of sympathy for Tarra with videos of Tarra and Bella on YouTube getting millions of views, and media outlets like CBS News paying tribute to the unlikely friendship. The Elephant Sanctuary has also created a Web page in tribute to Bella and Tarra where people can come to share their thoughts, view the animals’ history, and donate to the sanctuary.
Anyone who has ever doubted an animal’s ability to feel and express emotion need to look no further than this odd couple in Tennessee. Companionship, commitment, love, and loss—it’s all there.
9. Reagan
Reagan, a yellow Labrador, became a hero when he discovered a bag of Meow Mix alongside an Iowa highway. What was inside was not cat food though, but a litter of kittens cruelly discarded by their owners. Reagan carried the bag back to his owner and whined until his owner opened the bag. While many of the litter had been killed after being struck by cars, two kittens, later named Tipper and Skipper, survived the ordeal, and thanks to Reagan, are now being cared for and being readied for adoption
These two Great Danes lived together in England happily for many years, until their owner moved away and gave the dogs up for adoption. One major catch was that Lily had been blind since she was a puppy and Maddison was her seeing-eye dog, helping Lily navigate with barks and nudges. They did everything together and the shelter didn't want to separate them. It was a tough sell though—two older (ages 6 and 7) large breeds, one of whom is blind, didn't exactly make the phones ring off the hooks. And of those who did apply, many were well intentioned but didn't have the resources to properly care for the dogs. At last, a couple came forward who wanted both dogs and had the room and experience with large breeds to make a perfect fit for Lily and Maddison.
Unfortunately, since we first ran the story, there has been an unhappy update. Lily never acclimated herself to the new environment and became very anxious and aggressive. She severely attacked Maddison and the dogs' relationship was never the same. Despite much professional counseling to try and make it work, it was decided there was no choice but to separate the dogs. Maddison continues to live at her new adopted home, while Lily returned to the shelter, where she comfortably awaits a family that can handle her special needs
7. Wyatt Earp
This one-year-old terrier mix was adopted by retired Detroit police officer Don Callahan and named for the famous Old West lawman. Suffering from diabetic and cardiac problems, Callahan relished the walks he took with Wyatt and had begun to see the positive psychological and physical results the walks were having. One night, a malfunctioning glucometer failed to alert Callahan how low his blood sugar was and while walking Wyatt, he collapsed face down in the snow. Wyatt ran to the street corner and barked until he was able to attract the attention of some neighbors and lead them to Callahan's body. His condition was life-threatening and Callahan ended up in a coma for over 18 hours, but he pulled through. Wyatt had saved his life. Two years later, they have resumed their daily walks and Callahan recently recorded a perfect EKG.
Navy SEAL hero Jon Tumilson was killed in Afghanistan. His loyalty to his country was reflected in his dog's loyalty to him. His Labrador retriever Hawkeye moved the nation when he lay down next to Tumilson's coffin to bid farewell. The video of Hawkeye's final tribute to his fallen friend has logged almost 7 million YouTube hits
5. Ricochet
This Golden Retriever has done nothing to dispel the myth that all blonds are natural surfers. This champion canine surfer may have flunked out of service dog training (she was too distracted by birds), but she has become a nontraditional kind of service dog. Putting her board skills to work, Ricochet both surfs with and makes money for kids with disabilities. Ricochet has found her place in the sun by hanging 16 while raising funds and raising spirits for those in need.
4. Rosie
When we think of dogs and the law, we typically think of the ones who use their noses to sniff out drugs or explosives. But dogs are playing a larger role in the courtroom as well. Canine assistants, like Rosie, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever service dog, are being used to help calm witnesses in the courtroom. Children, young teenagers, the elderly, and the developmentally disabled often become overwhelmed by the courtroom setting and are unable to provide relevant testimony. Rosie is trained to sit next to the witness during testimony to help comfort them when the stress becomes too much to handle. By having Rosie available to pet or just to sit silently as a friend, attorneys are able to get testimonies that may never have been presented otherwise. Rosie typically works with victims of abuse or witnesses to especially traumatic events like the murder of a family member. Recently, a murderer changed his plea to guilty upon hearing Rosie would be working with the prosecution
3. Jonny Justice
Jonny Justice was one of the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's notorious dog-fighting rings. Jonny became an inspiration for the potential of rehabilitation when within 12 months he became certified as a service dog and began working in a library where children could read aloud to him. His story inspired many and helped to end the prejudice against pit bulls. He's even the cover boy on a new photo book project by Melissa McDaniel called Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs.
Sadly, the bias against pits came to Burlingame, California, where Jonny worked for the Paws for Tales program run by the Humane Society of the Peninsula in Northern California. Parents raised concerns about their children being around a pit bull, and rather than violate a law which banned discrimination against breeds, the Burlingame civic leaders decided to end the Paws for Tales program instead of letting Jonny participate. However Jonny remains an inspiration for pit bulls everywhere and is a great ambassador for the message of rehabilitation over discrimination.
2. Roselle
Roselle is another hero we lost this year. This yellow Labrador guide dog was with Michael Hingson, her blind companion, on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center North Tower on September 11, 2001. Amid the chaos that ensued when American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the building, Roselle was able to lead Michael down the flights of stairs, as they'd practiced in fire drills. Once on the ground, Roselle was able to lead not only Michael to safety but many of his sighted coworkers who were blinded by the dust cloud created by the collapsing towers. Roselle continued her guide dog service until 2007 when she was hobbled by muscle degeneration, and passed away peacefully this past June.
1. Dog of the Year
whose setting at your feet!!!!
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