Hero Dogs of 2012

We think of dogs as our lovable furry pets. But some dogs go above and beyond, really embodying what it is to be "Man's best friend".

“Heroes change our world, capture our imagination, and give us new ideals toward which to strive.” These were the words American Humane Association President and CEO, Robin R. Ganzert, chose when she spoke to the audience at the second annual AHA Hero Dog Awards, which were broadcast by the Hallmark Channel.

Meet the 8 courageous canines honored—their stories will inspire you.

After getting lost on a hunting trip, Leroy Neace was stranded in the woods without food, water, or adequate protection from the cold. Worst of all, with his diabetes medication many miles away, he had entered renal failure. Enter Soot. After being given a whiff of Neace's tobacco, Soot was able to lead rescuers to him.

“If it wouldn’t have been for Soot,” says Neace's granddaughter, Kayla, who recently married, “my grandfather wouldn’t have been here to walk me down the aisle like I’ve always dreamed of.”

When Shanna Wilkinson was 13-years-old she wanted a dog she could train for competition. Holly, a Shetland Sheepdog puppy, filled the role perfectly, training in agility, herding, and obedience, and performing with Shanna for American Kennel Club events.

But when Shanna was in high school, she began having seizures, and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Seizures would come without warning, and could cause Shanna to get seriously hurt. Without being trained to do so, Holly began to alert Shanna and her family to impending seizures five minutes before they'd happen. Now Shanna and Holly travel to elementary schools to teach children about the important role service dogs play.

On June 29, 2011, Jynx and his handler, Sgt. Kyle Pagerly of the U.S. Marshall's Office, went with a task force to a remote area of Pennsylvania to serve a warrant. What they didn’t know is that the team was walking into an ambush. Jynx was able to foil the ambush by alerting Sgt. Kyle Pagerly to the suspect’s presence, but shots were exchanged, and Sgt. Pagerly was badly wounded. Jynx pulled on Kyle’s pant leg, trying to remove him from danger, but Sgt. Pagerly died in surgery a few hours later. To the members of the task force whose lives were saved, Jynx and Sgt. Pagerly both are heroes.

When Stella came into Melissa Levy’s life, she had lost her father, her best friend, and her dog – all within less than a year. “I didn’t think I could love again,” Melissa says. Stella changed that, and believing she could do the same for others, Melissa signed her up to be a therapy dog.

Stella visits with people who are hurting, physically, emotionally, or both, and does whatever it takes to make them smile. “Stella has taught me one very important thing,” says Melissa’s mother, Lisa. “Don’t look for happiness. Create it.”

No one can explain how Daniel, a young beagle, escaped execution at an Alabama shelter by surviving for 25 minutes in a gas chamber. But Joe Dwyer, a pet trainer, knew that Daniel was special, and could do good. He adopted Daniel. And together the two now have become active in protesting the use of gas chambers to euthanize animals.

"She is the most beautiful, selfless, and intelligent being I know,” says Christina Saint-Blacard of her dog, Tatiana. Christina has Ménière's disease, which causes her to have episodes of incapacitating vertigo and has damaged her hearing. But Tatiana, who is is trained as a hearing dog for the deaf, does much more than hear the things Christina can’t. She also alerts her before she’s about to have a seizure, giving her time to get to the safest place available.

Moreover, when asthma stopped Christina’s breathing in the middle of the night one evening, it was Tatiana who woke her family, thus saving Christina’s life. When Christina graduated from Purdue University, Tatiana got her own diploma from the school. It reads, “Master of Friendship and Guidance.”

There’s more than one way to save a life. Just ask Ann Drake. When she was 45, Drake learned that she was losing her sight, and, at the same time, the company she was working for went bankrupt. Things started to turn around for her when Tabitha, who she got from Leader Dogs for the Blind came into her life.

With Tabitha at her side, Ann went back to school, got a master’s degree, and now works as a social worker. “Without Tabby Girl showing me the way to my new life,” Ann shares, “I really don’t know where I would be right now.”

“Having them on your team is going to keep your soldiers alive,” says U.S. Army SGM Blaine J. Huston of SFC Charles “Chuck” Shuck and his dog, Gabe. Shuck adopted Gabe from a shelter in Houston and trained him to be a Military Working Dog. Together, they served in Iraq and completed more than 210 combat missions. Gabe had 26 finds of explosives and weapons, which saved the lives of countless U.S. soldiers.

A hero on the front line and behind it, Gabe continues to serve in his retirement, visiting schools to inspire children. And, to help his other dogs like him, Gabe donated his AHA prize money to the United States War Dog Association.

Dogs: Man's Best Friend is a DVD collection from the PBS Explorer series that will introduce you to our canine friends in a whole new way.

If you wonder how dogs like Holly and Tatiana are able to predict a seizure before it happens, you'll enjoy Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home, in which bio-chemist Rupert Drake uses the scientific method to explore the psychic lives of pets.

Finally, if you'd like to show your love and support of dogs this holiday season, please consider a gift to the American Humane Association.