These dogs are amongst our unsung heros.

Hachiko, Ruswarp, Dorado, Cash, Greyfriars Bobby and The Frontier SheepDog.

I am sure that there are thousands of untold stories about dogs like these. One of the amazing things to me is that dogs also perform these feats for people that they don’t even know.  Remember the story about the dog in Argentina that saved a newborn baby that has been left in a lot during the winter.  Or the story about the “collie” in Canada that followed a 3 year old as it wandered off into the wilderness, staying with it till it was found.

I think of you often, but even more so lately. I am sad to tell you that Bo, my English Shepard and the most wonderful gift anyone ever gave to me, has died. Turns out what I thought was arthritis in his leg was actually osteosarcoma…it spread to his lungs before I realized this.

We took his leg off 6 weeks ago. He recovered and did ok for few weeks, and I never went anywhere except work without him. Last weekend he died while with me in Little Rock at my brother’s. I can’t tell you how devastated I am. He was my sidekick and companion.

I’ve had lots of dogs in my life; only one other that was anything near as important to me as Bo. I’ll never forget him coming out from under your barn, and following me everywhere….and you saying “looks like you have a new dog”. I had no intentions of getting another dog at that time, but you said “he’s picked you”.

You were right. Bo did pick me and never gave up his job of taking care of me. A wonderful dog, and I am missing him something awful. I just wanted to thank you for giving me Bo.

One of these days, I want to come see you and if one of your pups picks me…I will bring him home. I think that is the key; too many times I and others go looking for a dog and pick one they like; what we really should do is wait until one picks us. Then we will have a loyal companion that will do anything it takes to protect and please us. Bo did.

Thank you again, my friends. Kim

(This story was reported in the Ottawa Citizen, a Canadian paper The “miracle” dog is reported as a farm collie.  English Shepherds, aka farm collies, are well known for performing these kind of miracles. )

“Dog praised as little lost girl’s saviour”

by David Gonczol, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

When two-and-a-half-year-old Destiny King visits her aunt’s farm in Coe Hill, Ont., near Bancroft, the farm’s collie, Shilo, follows her everywhere.

So when Destiny wandered into the bush that surrounds the farm Monday evening, looking for her father, who was fixing fences, Shilo was right behind her.

And all through the night, as searchers in planes and on the ground combed the treacherous, rocky area for the missing child, Shilo stayed close, keeping Destiny warm and safe.

So close, the collie’s fur was still stuck to the child’s midsection when rescuers found her at 5:20 a.m. yesterday, a full three kilometres west of the farm.

“That dog was her saviour and her friend who stayed with her all the time that she was out in the bush,” said Destiny’s mother, Debbie King.

The Kings, who also live in Coe Hill, called police after spending a frantic hour searching for Destiny after realizing she was missing.

A massive search was quickly set in motion. Military aircraft dispatched by the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton dropped flares through the night to help Ontario Provincial Police with search dogs on the ground.

“It was very scary,” said Ms. King.

“All I could do was pray that the good Lord above would bring her back home.”

The terrain in the area south of Algonquin Park is so difficult that family and friends were not allowed to join in the search in darkness. A helicopter with heat-sensing equipment was grounded because of technical problems and could not be used in the search.

Two OPP dog teams finally reached the girl. Paramedics rushed to check her, but apart from feeling cold, she appeared to be fine. A subsequent trip to hospital confirmed that she survived her ordeal with only a few scratches on her legs.

Destiny told her parents yesterday morning that she “went walking to find daddy.” She told her parents she eventually became tired and sat down to rest, and that is where rescuers found the toddler with Shilo, who ran away when confronted by the search dogs.

By the time the family returned from the hospital late yesterday morning, five-year-old Shilo had found his way back to the family farm.

OPP Const. Suzanne Cox said everyone was relieved to find the girl because she could have easily walked over a ledge and taken a fall onto rocks or fallen into some water, not to mention contact with dangerous wildlife.

“It could have turned out quite differently. She is very lucky,” said Const. Cox.

Family, friends and rescuers, as well as Destiny, spent much of yesterday catching up on their sleep.

Shilo, meantime, will be sticking even closer to Destiny.

“My sister-in-law gave her the dog,” said Ms. King. “She said after this, that dog belongs to her.”

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

I am open to all stories about our courageous canine companions but as a breed English Shepherds are known for their ability to “think”,”reason” and “make the right decision” in a potentially dangerous situation.

Do you remember the news story about the English Shepherd who was out with his buddy, a boy riding his mountain bike.  It happened somewhere out West.  This mountain lion comes out of now where and tries to attack the boy on the bike.  The English Shepherd attacks the mountain lion while the boy races to safety. Fortunately the English Shepherd was not injured during his fight.

I am not sure of a good category for these stories.  What do you think? Profiles in Courage?