December 23, 2020
Top 20 Moments Pets Saved 2020
2020 has been one for the books. As a collective, we’ve faced difficult moments every step of the way, but some pets have gone above and beyond to help save lives. Check out these incredible pet stories featuring 20 moments where our pets became heroes.
1. Sniffing It Out
Dogs in Finland have been trained to “sniff out” the Corona virus at airports. The data suggests the dogs can detect the virus “up to five days earlier” than the nasal swab test. When it comes to 2020, dogs are literally saving our lives.
2. Friends Forever
On her 100th birthday, Marjorie Rigby adopted an 11-year-old terrier named Paddy. Marjorie has loved dogs all her life and feels Paddy was divine timing. They keep each other active and smiling every day.
3. Fluffy, the “ring-a-ding” Cat
85-year-old Ron Williams suffered a scary fall getting out of the shower one morning. With his life alert in the other room and cell phone out of reach, Ron laid helpless on the floor for 16 hours. When he realized his cat, Fluffy, was in the bathroom with him, he made a joke to the cat about getting his phone, a reoccurring joke between the two. Moments later, Ron felt the phone near his hand, all thanks to Fluffy.
4. Go Get Help, Girl!
This past summer, Gwendola Johnson’s dog saved her life. The 88-year-old fell and was unable to get up. Gwendola saw a sanitation worker, Kirk White, collecting trash and sent her dog Sandy to get help.
5. Big Things Come in Small Packages
Rudy Armstrong is an 88-year-old self-proclaimed “hermit” who lives on a houseboat with his chihuahua-Australian terrier, Bubu. One afternoon, Armstrong realized he was having a medical issue and told Bubu to go find Kim, the dockmaster. Bubu did just that and saved Armstrong’s life.
6. Cats in the Kitchen
One night, Scott White was woken up by his cat, a shelter rescue named Joey. White had set up his Crock-Pot to cook overnight, but something went wrong. Joey, noticing the smoke from the device, woke up his owner and showed him the potential fire.
7. Use Your Head
Finding ways to safely get out of the house during the pandemic has been a must, especially in the warmer months. Some go on walks while others take their horses out for a ride. Things don’t go quite as planned for one horse owner, but thankfully, their horse stepped in and saved the day!
8. It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, it’s Tiger to the Rescue!
While Sophie Thomas was gardening one afternoon, four dogs approached her and began to growl. As she tried to shoo them away, one lunged and bit her arm. Thankfully, her cat Tiger came to the rescue. Tiger jumped into the middle of the altercation and distracted the dogs so that Sophie could get inside.
9. The Canal Cat
One afternoon, a few members of the Toyama Prefecture neighborhood saw a cat near the canal. The cat wouldn’t leave the area, and when the owner came to check on the cat, they realized a man had fallen into the canal. The neighbors helped the man and got him the medical attention he needed, all thanks to Coco the cat, who was given an award for her services.
10. Sneaky Snakes
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Typhoon the dog saved his owner’s 12-year-old daughter from a 6-foot long jararaca snake. Typhoon got in between the girl and the snake and was bitten several times keeping her safe. He was rushed to the vet but is said to be on his way to a full recovery.
11. A Girl and Her Horse
As the fires burned in Australia at the beginning of 2020, many were displaced. In the midst of this chaos, Bek Winter fled her home, leaving everything she owned behind, but as the fires got worse, she was unable to escape. Her horse, Charmer, came to the rescue and took her out of the blaze, saving her life.
12. Look Who’s Talking Now
When a fire broke out at Anton Nguyen’s home, his pet parrot, Eric, saved the day. Anton was sleeping at the time but awoke to hear Eric loudly calling his name.
13. The Star(la) of the Show
During a break-in, two-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Starla, became a legend. As the burglars entered the home, Starla barked loudly and chased the two intruders until they left. The two men shot at Starla, leaving her injured, but Starla never let up barking until the burglars were out of the home.
14. Some Heroes Have Tails
One evening, Jeff LeCates went to his front door after hearing his dog, Roux, frantically barking and pawing. When LeCates opened the door, the dog ran in the direction of a neighbor’s burning home. LeCates was able to get the family out safely, all thanks to his furry friend, Roux.
15. Keen Instincts
Hazel Parkyn has an important furry friend in the form of her cat, Walter. Parkyn has type 1 diabetes and can potentially fall into a diabetic coma while she sleeps. Walter can smell the chemical change and has saved her life over 50 times by waking her up.
16. A Rude Awakening
Craig Jeeves was abruptly awoken from a deep sleep when his cat, Sally, jumped on his head. Realizing Sally was protecting him, Jeeves was able to escape the fire in his home, saving his life.
17. The Doggy Maneuver
Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple and tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver on herself. As she panicked, her dog, Toby, came to the rescue. Toby pushed Parkhurst to the floor and jumped on her chest dislodging the food.
18. A Beary Close Call
Helping her mother take out the garbage, Jennifer Stokya was greeted with a bear paw nearly missing her face. Thankfully, her dog, Dexter, was there to save the day. Dexter startled the bear and chased it up a tree, protecting his owner.
19. Jaws vs. Paws
While on holiday in Australia, pup Tilly jumps in the water when it sees a shark swimming near its owner and promptly defends his life.
20. A Close Call
While a child was playing, he frees himself from the confines of the room and heads toward a steep staircase, however, a cat comes to the rescue! Watch as this heroic cat jumps on the child and pushes him away from the staircase.
