Heroes

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Throughout history our companion animals have done much more than ease our burdens and guard our property. They have guarded our lives without hesitation or concern for their own wellbeing. Whether it be an intruder, a house fire, or an uninvited squirrel, our furry "guardian angels" have sounded the alarm or thrown themselves into harms way time and time again. Sometimes we hear about these heroic efforts on the news - sometimes we do not.What we seldom hear about are the times that pet owners have faced down danger to come to the rescue of their beloved animals. I'd like to tell you about two such instances: one that happened to our neighbors and one that happened to the mother of a friend.

Stripes
The Rottweiller shot out at them from the backyard of the house they were walking by. Before Elaine, her husband or their son could react, it had the face of their brindle boxer, "Stripes," in its vise-like jaws. In the fight that followed, Stripes was not the only family member to get bitten by the attacker. Yet the family stayed and fought like the warriors Stripes needed - all of them. Dad said he was ready to kill the beast with his bare hands if he had to. Not one of them gave up until the Rottweiller's owner ran from the house begging them not to kill his dog. Stripes survived the attack, but was left with a few scars. To me, those scars were always a reminder of my heroic neighbors.

Heidi
Loretta smiles and proudle states, "Me and Heidi - we're buddies!" as Heidi cuddles in her arms and looks up with her expressive brown eyes.Heidi is lucky to be alive. The petite dachshund was the victim of another dog attack. This time it was a Husky that the neighbors recently brought home from Alaska. When Lorretta saw Heidi attacked she knew that the Husky was, in Loretta's words, "Going in for the kill." Without a thought for her own safety, this feisty grandmother ran into the fray. After a long battle that left both Loretta and Heidi bloody, Loretta made it to the garage and grabbed a shovel and beat off the attacker.Later, when police came and saw the blood-covered shovel, they took Loretta to the hospital. Heidi was also treated and received several stitches.As I played with Heidi the Christmas after the attack, I was absolutely charmed by her intelligence and sense of self-importance. Of course she thinks she's the center of the universe - one look at Loretta and you can see that she thinks so too!

Transformation
We never realize when we first bring a dog or puppy home just what a profound change will take place in ourselves. It goes far beyond love and affection, far beyond companionship and responsibility. We are transformed into heroes. From the person who risks his own safety for the sake of a pet to the child begging to keep the dog that "followed" her home, we all become more than what we were. We become guardians, protectors, champions, and warriors.

There is a popular saying that goes, "Lord, let me be the kind of person that my dog thinks I am."Stripes and Heidi think that their families are heroes - and I think they're right.