Our beloved animals are not just our furry companions at home. When an emergency calls, don’t be surprised how quickly pets can come to their families’ rescue. From the pet cats that alert their families’ of a house fire, to the St. Bernards of the Swiss Alps who would find stranded travelers, our pets can do extraordinary things to save human lives and to return to their humble beginnings soon after.
Animals have been used for years to aid us in serious situations. Many dogs are trained to be aides for human beings. From Seeing Eye dogs for the blind, to alert dogs for diabetics or epileptics, each of these animals make quick decisions in micro seconds to save lives. Cats also have been known to alert their families over house fires or carbon monoxide leaks. Whether it be a dog that has had years of training to a house pet, our pets’ strong senses have saved countless human lives.
Many dogs are trained to be Seeing Eye dogs or dogs for the deaf. Interestingly enough, these dogs are all breeds, helping their human friends with tasks such as alerting them of the doorbell or helping them around the house. Other dogs are used to remind people when to take their medication and some can even sense when a diabetic is low on blood sugar, and alerts the person accordingly.
This phenomenon does not just apply to dogs and cats. It extends to many species of animals. Who could forget in 1996 when a young boy fell into the gorilla enclosure of Brookfield Zoo in Illinois? Gorilla Binti Jua fended off the other curious gorillas and carefully carried him to the zookeeper door, where zookeepers could rescue him. The child was released from hospital 4 days later. Without Binti Jua, this poor boy could have suffered a completely different fate.
Pet food companies, national newspapers, and communities honour these pet heroes with cash rewards, free pet food, and memorializing them with their stories told by the masses. But all these gifts are nothing compared to the lives these pets have saved, with a selfless attitude and asking for nothing in return.
We can learn a lot from these selfless heroes, who face danger risking their own lives for the life of another. Once they are successful, they immediately become the same loyal pet as they once were. Do they remember what heroic act they have done? Absolutely. These pets are humble and show no reason to be pampered for being a hero. So many lessons from such sweet creatures. If only we as humans can aspire to be so selfless.
