In Wichita, KS a couple’s dogs helped alert them to a stranger in the house.

Police say a woman woke up to the animals’ barks just before one o’clock Thursday morning. She let the dogs out then went into the bathroom.

When she turned on the light she saw a man who she initially thought was her husband.

When she realized it wasn’t, she screamed. That woke up her husband who came in and punched the man in the face. He then held the intruder by his ponytail until police could get there.

Investigators later arrested the stranger.

Once again, it was a dog that came to a humans rescue. A short story, but I always like to give a dog credit where credit is due.

* The watchdog above is Dogster member Harley.

In Melbourne, Australia Leo the dog is being hailed a hero.  A raging fire was burning, but Leo stood guard over a box of newborn kittens in the family home.

Leo the dog had to be revived after he was found standing guard over the newborn cats while flames raged around him.

‘Fire fighters were conducting a search because we had a report of one person unaccounted for, initially,’ Melbourne fire fighter Ken Brown said. ‘We came across a dog named Leo who was guarding four kittens in the second bedroom.’

Fire fighters used heart massage and an oxygen mask to bring the Jack Russell-cross back to life after he became unconscious and stopped breathing.

There were no smoke detectors found in the house, it’s amazing no one was killed.  Leo and kittens are doing well.  What a great story, way to go Leo.

Police dogs risk their lives for us everyday,  now thanks to  Vest ‘N .P.D.P. they’re a little safer.

Police officers count on bulletproof vests every day. Now the dogs of the K-9 unit with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office have the same protection.

Sheriff Bill Schatzman said Wednesday his office has received bulletproof, stab-proof vests for eight of the department’s 10 dogs. Schatzman said the dogs detect explosives, drugs and firearms and help catch criminals, and are in harm’s way.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports none of the sheriff’s dogs have been killed in the line of duty.

The vests cost $900 each and were donated by Vest ‘N P.D.P., a nonprofit organization.

That’s great, hopefully more police dogs across the country will get them. To learn more about the wonderful not-for-profit organization Vest ‘N P.D.P., who raises money to buy the vests, visit their site.

Can you Help? Will you Help?

Vest ‘N P.D.P (Police Dog Protection) raises money to provide Police Dogs with bulletproof/stabproof vests. Police Dogs risk their own lives not knowing the dangers that face them.

They are being killed and injured more frequently than ever. Your donations are strictly utilized for protecting them. Please visit our donation page where you can help save Police Dogs by providing them with Vest Protection.

In San Pedro, CA there’s a woman with a very noble mission.

Dorothy Matich  has started a grass-roots movement to raise money to refurbish the military dog cemetery.

The way Dorothy Matich sees it, the war dogs buried at San Pedro’s former Army base deserve a respectable resting place.

“They’re veterans, as far as I’m concerned,” Matich said.

Through the years, the cemetery for more than 30 military canines that helped guard the coastline during the Cold War years had fallen into disrepair.

Some of the bronze grave markers were stolen, along with a life-size statue of a German shepherd that once “guarded” the unique burial ground.

Steve Nelson, curator of the Fort MacArthur Museum located inside Angels Gate Park, had long wanted to restore the canine cemetery, but lacked the funds to do so.

While on a visit to the museum Dorothy Matich  learned of the cemetery and curator Steve Nelson’s wish to restore it.  A one woman dog loving machine Matich has managed to raise thousands to go towards the renovations.

Through teas and small-scale fundraisers, Matich and other San Pedro supporters - Florence Kleinjan and Alan and Liz Johnson among them - managed to raise enough money to install a new wrought-iron fence around the cemetery. Private donations also were solicited, with the Petco Foundation donating $1,000.

An irrigation system has been installed with new turf yet to come. Sculptor Eugene
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Daub is working on a design for a new dog statue for the cemetery.

Replicas of the bronze grave markers - although some are missing, others remain locked safely away in the museum - will be made and placed in the cemetery.

The markers bear the names of the dogs - Lance, Baron, Jack, Winner, Pancho, Fritz - along with their military service dates.

The museum has many very interesting exhibits,  including a history of the  “K-9 Command.”  It’s definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area.

For anyone interested in making a donation for the cemetery project you can do so online, or by sending a check made out to the Fort MacArthur Museum Association (designated for the “K-9 Cemetery”) to the Fort MacArthur Museum, P.O. Box 268, San Pedro, CA 90731.

In Tampa, FL an elderly couple’s dog roused them from sleep at around 4 a.m., alerting them to a fire.

The small poodle was making a ruckus, leading  owner Alice Ferrari to think he needed to go out.

Owner Alice Ferrari thought the dog needed to go outside, but when she opened the door, he ran out and right back in. She then discovered there was a fire in the ceiling of her laundry room.

Luckily, the couple and their dog escaped unharmed. However, they have a cat that is still missing,  hopefully to  be found safe and sound.

Don’t you just love dog hero stories?

Times have been a bit tough lately,  people are cutting back on their spending. When this happens, usually the hardest hit groups are not-for-profits which run solely on contributions.

Take for instance Power Paw’s Assistance Dogs, they rely on donations and fundraisers to keep them going.

The group has 45 dogs in training. Each year, it matches 10 golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers with children and adults with disabilities.

“We are publicly supported, and we are holding our breath as to what’s coming,” Abels said.

Or look at Paws With A Cause, the group that trained Buddy, the dog who  called 911 after his owner had a seizure.

About 80 percent of funding for Paws with a Cause is provided through workforce-donation campaigns, Davis said.

As employers slash jobs, though, fewer people are able to donate.

The dogs pick up dropped items, push elevator buttons, pay cashiers or even pull off pairs of socks.

“So many times people with disabilities don’t go out in public because it’s not accessible to them,” Abels said. “With a dog with them, they are able to become active members of the community.”

It’s so easy for those of us without disabilities to take these daily tasks for granted, something  we don’t give an afterthought. We don’t think about what it would be like if we couldn’t pick something up because we dropped it,  or what would happen if a fire started and we couldn’t hear the alarm.

These dogs not only give persons with disabilities a level of independence they could not achieve on their own, they also react in life-threatening situations. What would have happened to Buddy’s owner if he wasn’t around?  Scary thought.

If the picture above doesn’t make you scrape together a few dollars to donate,  I haven’t done my job very well.  Come on Dogsters, let’s help support the service dogs that support us.

Here’s a nice story about three dogs inducted to the Iowa Animal’s Hall of Fame.

The dogs were chosen because of their ability to comfort, assist, and stay calm under pressure.

The awards are sponsored by the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and Schering-Plough Animal Health.

The first honoree is Hericane, a Black Labrador.

Hericane,  owned by Lynette Krambeer of Des Moines, worked as a full-time residential pet at Trinity Center at Luther Park, a care facility in Des Moines.

“She had this way of knowing who needed her the most,” Krambeer said.

Next,  HJ,  a three year old Weimaraner.

HJ,  owned by Loren and Dianna Engelbrecht of Fredericksburg, saved Loren Engelbrecht’s life after he suffered a heart attack on Easter Sunday 2007.

Engelbrecht woke up around midnight feeling sick and soon developed a pain in his chest that left him immobile.

HJ roused Dianna Engelbrecht, who called for help after seeing her husband’s distress.

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here,” Loren Engelbrecht said about the dog.

Rounding up the trio is Sidda, a beautiful Golden Retriever.

Sidda, owned by Julie Robinson of North Liberty, is the only full-time learning dog in the Iowa City Community School District. Robinson is the principal of Penn Elementary School and she takes Sidda to work with her every day. Sidda is a certified therapy dog trained by Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services, a nonprofit organization in Kansas.

Students who are otherwise reluctant to read will read to Sidda. The dog also works with students who are angry or upset.

Sadly, at the age of 14, Hericane had a stroke and went to Rainbow Bridge in September 2006. I can’t think of a better tribute than having your legacy forever memorialized.

Here’s another story proving dogs really are man’s best friend.  Thanks to Michelle for barking this to me.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A dog specially trained to call 911 when his owner suffers seizures grabbed the phone Wednesday morning and whimpered for help when the dispatcher answered, police said.

The 911 operator, Chris Trott, heard a cry when she picked up the phone.  Besides saying “woof” Buddy obviously can’t talk, he’s been trained to whimper when he hears the operators voice.  The 911 system is able to match where the phone call is coming from and send the needed help.

Buddy’s owner, Joe Stalnaker, was suffering one of his more severe seizures, said Sgt. Mark Clark of the Scottsdale Police Department.

Ten years ago, Stalnaker said he was in a military accident that severely injured part of his brain, leaving him prone to potentially fatal seizures.

Buddy was specially trained, by Paws With a Cause, to recognize when his owner is having a seizure and then to bring the phone to him.

“He doesn’t actually sit there and dial 911, but whenever he picks up the phone, one of his teeth inevitably hits the number, and if it’s held down for more than three seconds, it dials the police department,” Stalnaker said.

When the ambulance arrived both Stalnaker and his Buddy were taken to the hospital.  Luckily, everything is fine and they were back home within two days.

Do you think when his owner isn’t looking Buddy’s making phone calls to Fluffy across the street?

Lexi, a 5 year old Bichon Frise, proved just how great she is when she helped save the life of her 85 year old neighbor.

In Brooklyn, NY owner Linda Deutsch was leaving her fourth floor apartment to take Lexi for her morning walk.  They were approaching the elevator when Lexi started pulling on her leash, refusing to get on.

Thinking Lexi was just being ornery, Deutsch pulled on her leash, but to no avail. Lexi just kept pulling away from her and toward Apartment 4-L.

Deutsch finally let her dog lead her there and that’s when she heard Charles Postler, a deacon at nearby St. Patrick’s Church, calling for help.

Deutsch called the building super, who had a key to the apartment, for help.  They discovered  Postler on the floor and a bit disoriented.  He had been on the floor for hours, after falling earlier and not being able to get up. Postler was taken to the hospital to be evaluated and is doing well.

Postler’s son was very thankful to Lexi for getting help for his dad.  Deutsch is obviously very proud of her girl.

“I was mad at her the day before because I caught her drinking my coffee I left by the sofa,” she said. “Today she makes me so proud. She is a hero.”

Thanks to Winston’s mom for sending me this story.

Yeager, a 3 year old Labrador retriever, is a service dog. He  helps owner,  Sharon Yunker-Deatz,  with everyday living tasks which are now difficult due to multiple sclerosis.  Besides being a hero to Sharon,  he’s one to the community where he saved a boy’s life.

Yeager is a lifesaver, too, for a 10-year-old boy in Michigan. The boy might have drowned in Lake Michigan last summer had Yeager not alerted others by barking and paddling toward the struggling child.

The incident happened when Yunker-Deatz took Yeager to the beach last summer. He was playing in the water in a designated dog area on the beach.

Noticing the undertow had become strong owners started calling in their dogs. Yeager, instead of swimming towards shore started heading out into deeper water. Over to where a group of boys were playing and one was now in danger of drowning.

Thanks to Yeager actions some men on shore noticed what was happening and went in to save the boy.

Yesterday Mayor Jerry Abramson presented Yeager with Louisville’s Distinguished Citizen Award — the first time in 19 years as mayor that Abramson has given the honor to an animal, he said.

“He had risked his safety for someone he didn’t know,” Abramson said. “He had no relationship whatsoever with the 10-year-old youngster.”

Wow, what an amazing and heroic dog Yeager is. His brave act also won him the Valor Dog of the Year award presented by the Humane Society of the United States. He beat out hundreds of other contenders for the award.   Way to go Yeager!