8 Amazing Dog Stories

The rancher’s Sheepdog

In the 1870s, a sheep rancher in New Mexico died alone in his remote home. Two years later, his death was discovered by visitors. Yet his flock of sheep were doing just fine, and had actually increased in number! The rancher’s dog had taken responsibility for the sheep, and had taken them out to pasture daily as he had always done, then herded them back home at night. In 1879, the New Mexico legislature voted to award a pension to the hard-working (but nameless) sheep dog. There are no pictures of this dog

Greyfriars Bobby became famous as a symbol of loyalty in Britain. He was a Skye terrier devoted to his owner, John Gray. When Gray died in 1858, he was buried without a gravestone. Still, Bobby found the spot and stayed there, guarding the grave and leaving only for food, for 14 years. Greyfriars Bobby himself died in 1872. A granite fountain was erected in 1873 to honor his loyalty, commissioned by a countess and paid for by the RSPCA. John Gray eventually got a headstone, paid for by Bobby’s fans. And Bobby received a headstone for his grave in 1981.

Hachiko

The World’s Most Loyal Dog. Hachiko, an Akita who lived in Tokyo, was extremely loyal to his master, professor Hidesamuro Ueno. He waited every day for Ueno to return from work, meeting him at the train station at four o’clock. In 1925, Ueno suffered a stroke at work and died. Still, Hachiko went to the station every day at four and searched through the crowd for his master. Every day. For ten years. Which was the rest of his life. Upon his death in 1935, Hachiko was a national celebrity. His remains were stuffed and put on display at the National Science Museum in Tokyo. A statue of Hachiko stands at Shibuya Station as a tribute to the dog’s unwavering loyalty.

The Military Dog.

Stubby wandered into the encampment and was adopted by the 102nd infantry of Massachusetts in 1917. When the infantry shipped out to Europe, Stubby was smuggled onto the ship bound for France. During World War I, Stubby kept watch and alerted the troops to German attacks. He was wounded by a hand grenade once and gassed several times. He once found a German spy and held him by the seat of the pants until American troops could complete the capture! When his master, Corporal J. Robert Conroy was wounded, Stubby accompanied him to the hospital and made rounds to cheer the troops. He was eventually a highly decorated dog, amassing medals for service, campaigns and battles, a Purple Heart, and various veteran’s awards. A group of French women made Stubby a chamois blanket decorated with allied flags to display his medals.

Stubby returned home at the end of the war and became quite a celebrity. He was made a lifetime member of the American Legion, the YMCA, and the Red Cross. He lived at the Y and made recruiting tours for the Red Cross. When Stubby passed on in 1926, he was preserved and displayed with his medals at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Bipedal Dog

Faith Stringfellow was born just before Christmas in 2002 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. She only had three legs. Her single front leg was deformed. he leg was amputated after it began to atrophy when Faith was seven months old. He owners then taught her how to stand on her rear legs, then hop, and finally to walk upright! Faith is now a therapy dog and makes public appearance to encourage others to live to their full potential. See a video of Faith in action at YouTube.

- The Lifeguard Swansea Jack was born in 1930 in Swansea, Wales, close to the Tawe River. He was a retriever. What he retrieved were people in danger of drowning in the river -possibly as many as 27 of them in his short life. After his second rescue, his picture was published in the local paper. Swansea Jack was eventually awarded a “Bravest Dog of the Year”: award from the newspaper, a silver cup from the mayor of London, and two bronze medals from the Dogs Trust. He was also named “Dog of the Century” in 2000 by the NewFound Friends of Bristol. In 2008, Richard Higlett wrote a musical tribute to Swansea Jack and recorded 30 dogs singing it. Swansea Jack died in 1937 after eating rat poison, and a huge monument was erected over his grave.

Loyal dog guards owner for weeks after death

25-year-old Jake Baysinger was reported missing in Colorado on June 28, 2008. His body was found six weeks later in the Pawnee National Grassland by a rancher who was checking out a strange dog. The dog was Baysinger’s German shepherd Cash. Cash kept running between Baysinger’s body and his pickup truck, giving the rancher the idea that the dog was eager to show someone what had happened. Baysinger’s death was ruled a suicide, and Cash was reunited with Baysinger’s wife and young son. Investigators believe Cash survived by eating small animals and kept coyotes away from his master’s body. Cash was later honored with a gift basket of treats from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). .

- Faithful Dog Leads Blind Man 70 Floors Down WTC Just Before Tower Collapses

Omar Eduardo Rivera worked on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center until September 11, 2001. On that day, Rivera, who is blind, was at his job as a computer technician with his dog Dorado under his desk. When two hijacked planes hit the towers, Rivera knew it would take him a long time to evacuate the building.


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“I thought I was lost forever—the noise and the heat were terrifying—but I had to give Dorado the chance of escape. So I unclipped his lead, ruffled his head, gave him a nudge and ordered Dorado to go.”
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The dog was swept downstairs by the crowd of people. A few minutes later, Rivera felt the dog nuzzling his legs. He had come back up the staircase! Dorado and a co-worker helped Rivera climb down 70 flights, a trip that took an hour. Shortly after they emerged at ground level, the building collapsed. Rivera declared he owes his life to his companion and best friend, Dorado.