Dogs have always been regarded as man's best friend. And they are; with their barking when they sense danger, and going all superhero when the situation calls for it, just to protect our miserly asses. Below are 5 dogs who pulled off super-human stunts:
#1
Togo, the Siberian Husky:
Togo was the lead sled dog of a team owned by a man named Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian that worked for a mining company in Alaska.
In 1925, a huge outbreak of diphtheria erupted in remote Alaska, and since there weren't exactly a whole lot of roads available, the only way to deliver medicine was by dog sled. Togo was made the leader of a trip to cross the frozen tundra of Alaska to deliver the antitoxin, braving -35 (Celsius) degree weather with a -65 (Celsius) degree wind chill. And he did it across 84 miles in a single day.
That night, Togo slept for just six hours before heading out again at 2am in a balmy -80(Celsius) degree headwind, journeying along an ice-laden shoreline that was breaking beneath his feet before finally giving the serum to the next team, a plucky group of huskies led by a dog named Balto.
Yes, even though Togo traveled a much longer distance under more extreme
conditions, Balto got the cartoon because he happened to be the one
that brought the medicine the rest of the way. Life's so cruel.
#2
Sergeant Stubby:
Stubby was a terrier mix. He was found on the Yale campus in 1917 and smuggled aboard the USS Minnesota by his owner, John Robert Conroy, to fight in World War 1. Stubby officially entered service in February 5, 1918, and fought in the French trenches for 18 months.
Not content with merely joining the Army and surviving a World War, Stubby the dog also managed to become a bonafide hero. He actually earned that rank, "Sergeant", meaning a cadre of superior officers decided he was eligible for promotion over other qualified, battle-hardened human beings. Why?
One, he was able to warn his unit of incoming artillery attacks thanks to his dog-hearing, and after being hit by a chlorine attack he became very sensitive to the smell of gas. So much so that he could accurately detect it in the air before it hit lethal dosage, barking wildly until the soldiers put their masks on.
Stubby also managed to save many people from "no-mans land," the open stretches of land between trenches, by listening for people shouting in English and then either leading medics to the wounded or guiding the wounded back to their trench.
Most amazingly, Stubby managed to single-handedly capture a German spy hiding in a bush in no-man's land and making a
map of the Allied trenches. Stubby started barking to alert the Allied
soldiers, and when the spy ran, Stubby chased him down and bit the shit out of him, subduing him until the Allied soldiers arrived.
#3
Smoky The Yorkshire Terrier:
Smoky was a Yorkshire Terrier that was found in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea in 1944 by American soldiers. Because Smoky was not an "official" war dog, the Army would not feed him or even give him medical aid if he got shot. So his owner shared his rations and kept Smoky in his tent, which worked
out for the owner's benefit. While on a transport ship, Smoky guided
his owner to cover after hearing the whistle of incoming artillery
shells over the booming of the ship's cannons.
#4
Saint Guinefort:
Guinefort was a greyhound owned by a French knight in the 13th century and, just to be clear, is an actual saint, despite the Church's insistence that dogs have no souls.
One day, the knight went hunting and left his infant child in the care of Guinefort the dog. Though I wonder how the dog got a qualification as a baby-sitter. When he returned, his house was torn up, his baby was missing, and Guinefort's face was covered in blood. Assuming Guinefort had eaten his kid, the knight chopped the dog's head off, only to find the baby safely in a corner of the room next to the mutilated corpse of a viper.
The knight and his family were so distressed about killing their faithful friend that they buried him in a well and built a shrine around it, and Guinefort became a saint for infants, protecting them from the evils of the world.
#5
Endal The Golden Retriever:
Despite having a name that rhymes with "end all" (end all slippers, homework etc), Endal one heck of a pooch. Endal
was a British Labrador Retriever that worked as a service dog helping a
Gulf War veteran named Allen Parton, who had very serious head injuries
that made him unable to create new memories.
Endal was given the title, "Dog of the Millennium" because he was a genius even by human standards. Since the severely brain damaged and wheelchair-bound Parton could do virtually nothing for himself, Endal had to learn a lot of things that, quite frankly, dogs have no business doing.
He could get stuff from grocery store shelves, he learned Parton's PIN number and could use the ATM machine, he was able to operate the washing machine and he could fetch different household items based on specific gestures. He could also use the elevator, open train doors and, like most dogs, get the paper.
In case that wasn't awesome enough, he managed to make national headlines in 2001 when Allen Parton was hit by a car and thrown from his wheelchair. Endal pulled him to safety and put him into the recovery position, ready for the paramedics. Endal then ran back into the street to get Parton's cell phone...
Though, he wasn't able to call for help on the phone (imagine if he could?!?) but he did find a blanket to cover Parton with, and then ran into a nearby hotel, barking until someone figured out what was going on and called for an ambulance.
#6
Chips The Husky-Collie-German Shepherd Mix:
Despite having a totally confusing mixed-up genealogy, Chips managed to accomplish something few humans could every dream possible. He was shipped off to fight the Axis in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany as a sentry dog.
During the invasion of Sicily, Chips and Pvt. John Rowell, his handler, were pinned down on a beach by machine gun fire. Chips managed to free himself from Rowell, jumped into the bunker the Italians were firing from and attacked them.
The dog won. The Italians were forced to surrender to the Americans rather than have their throats torn out.
Amazingly, later that day, Chips captured 10 more Italian soldiers, maybe because they all forgot they were carrying guns but more likely because Chips was, pound for pound, the most badass soldier in the war.
For his heroic actions, Chips was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart, though he was later stripped of his medals because he was a dog. After the war, he returned home to his family and a Disney movie was produced in his honor.
#1
Togo, the Siberian Husky:
Togo was the lead sled dog of a team owned by a man named Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian that worked for a mining company in Alaska.
In 1925, a huge outbreak of diphtheria erupted in remote Alaska, and since there weren't exactly a whole lot of roads available, the only way to deliver medicine was by dog sled. Togo was made the leader of a trip to cross the frozen tundra of Alaska to deliver the antitoxin, braving -35 (Celsius) degree weather with a -65 (Celsius) degree wind chill. And he did it across 84 miles in a single day.
That night, Togo slept for just six hours before heading out again at 2am in a balmy -80(Celsius) degree headwind, journeying along an ice-laden shoreline that was breaking beneath his feet before finally giving the serum to the next team, a plucky group of huskies led by a dog named Balto.
#2
Sergeant Stubby:
Not content with merely joining the Army and surviving a World War, Stubby the dog also managed to become a bonafide hero. He actually earned that rank, "Sergeant", meaning a cadre of superior officers decided he was eligible for promotion over other qualified, battle-hardened human beings. Why?
One, he was able to warn his unit of incoming artillery attacks thanks to his dog-hearing, and after being hit by a chlorine attack he became very sensitive to the smell of gas. So much so that he could accurately detect it in the air before it hit lethal dosage, barking wildly until the soldiers put their masks on.
Stubby also managed to save many people from "no-mans land," the open stretches of land between trenches, by listening for people shouting in English and then either leading medics to the wounded or guiding the wounded back to their trench.
#3
Smoky The Yorkshire Terrier:
#4
Saint Guinefort:
Guinefort was a greyhound owned by a French knight in the 13th century and, just to be clear, is an actual saint, despite the Church's insistence that dogs have no souls.
One day, the knight went hunting and left his infant child in the care of Guinefort the dog. Though I wonder how the dog got a qualification as a baby-sitter. When he returned, his house was torn up, his baby was missing, and Guinefort's face was covered in blood. Assuming Guinefort had eaten his kid, the knight chopped the dog's head off, only to find the baby safely in a corner of the room next to the mutilated corpse of a viper.
The knight and his family were so distressed about killing their faithful friend that they buried him in a well and built a shrine around it, and Guinefort became a saint for infants, protecting them from the evils of the world.
#5
Endal The Golden Retriever:
Endal was given the title, "Dog of the Millennium" because he was a genius even by human standards. Since the severely brain damaged and wheelchair-bound Parton could do virtually nothing for himself, Endal had to learn a lot of things that, quite frankly, dogs have no business doing.
He could get stuff from grocery store shelves, he learned Parton's PIN number and could use the ATM machine, he was able to operate the washing machine and he could fetch different household items based on specific gestures. He could also use the elevator, open train doors and, like most dogs, get the paper.
In case that wasn't awesome enough, he managed to make national headlines in 2001 when Allen Parton was hit by a car and thrown from his wheelchair. Endal pulled him to safety and put him into the recovery position, ready for the paramedics. Endal then ran back into the street to get Parton's cell phone...
Though, he wasn't able to call for help on the phone (imagine if he could?!?) but he did find a blanket to cover Parton with, and then ran into a nearby hotel, barking until someone figured out what was going on and called for an ambulance.
#6
Chips The Husky-Collie-German Shepherd Mix:
During the invasion of Sicily, Chips and Pvt. John Rowell, his handler, were pinned down on a beach by machine gun fire. Chips managed to free himself from Rowell, jumped into the bunker the Italians were firing from and attacked them.
The dog won. The Italians were forced to surrender to the Americans rather than have their throats torn out.
Amazingly, later that day, Chips captured 10 more Italian soldiers, maybe because they all forgot they were carrying guns but more likely because Chips was, pound for pound, the most badass soldier in the war.
For his heroic actions, Chips was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart, though he was later stripped of his medals because he was a dog. After the war, he returned home to his family and a Disney movie was produced in his honor.
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