Can you imagine a five pound poodle fighting off a wild animal that’s 40 times larger in order to save her family? Or a service dog sacrificing its life by jumping in between an
apex predator and its owner ? Well, when it comes to protecting their families, a loyal dog cannot be deterred by any threat – no matter how big or scary.
Time and time again, these courageous companions have prevented the worst from happening by saving their owners lives.
They will keep their loved ones safe at all costs, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
We’re celebrating these unsung heroes by counting down the most heroic dogs and what they did in the crucial moments to save their owners lives.
1. Number one: a five pound poodle saves her family from a bear.
The saying, “it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog” has never been more true with this story.
Pickles was a petite toy poodle that weighed no more than five 5 pounds, though that didn’t stop her from saving her family. The owner, Tiffany Merill, had let her dog out at 6AM for her morning walk like any other day.
But on that day, it wasn’t like any other day. Tiffany left the door open as she didn’t see anything dangerous outside. After all, wildlife rarely bothered them at home. However within a few seconds, a 200-pound bear came storming into the house. As Tiffany came screaming to the kids for them to lock their doors, the bear jumped on the couch and headed directly for her. The intent of the bear was clear. Though at that moment, the unlikeliest of all heroes sprung into action. Pickles came roaring in with her five pound frame and began aggressively barking to get the bear’s attention. Poodles are wickedly smart, so Pickles knew she had to lead the bear out of the house in order to save the family.
In her final act of courage, the loyal dog diverted the bear outside, and the bear eventually retreated back to the woods.
However Pickles was hurt badly and the damage was already done. During the struggle, she had been clawed a few times in a heroic act. Tiffany rushed her to the animal hospital though her brave little dog eventually succumbed to her injuries. Pickles didn’t make it.
Toy poodles are not meant to be guard dogs, but her instincts kicked in and against better judgment, she became the hero. The undersized poodle made the ultimate sacrifice to save her family, which just shows that the loyal dog never backs down despite how big and terrifying the threat is.
