I just love starting off the day with a dog hero story.  Stacie Pitts’ from Van Buren, AK  was woken up by her dog Miley in the early morning hours of December 7.  When Pitts’ woke she had a headache and went back to sleep, Miley kept barking until she got back up.

Pitts said she was overcome with nausea and realized then that something was wrong.

“I couldn’t hold anything down. I ran to the bathroom throwing up,” Pitts said. “And I wasn’t throwing anything up but chemicals. It tasted like medicine in the back of my throat.”

Her fiance, Richard Childers, woke up with a headache and woke up Pitts’ 6-year-old stepdaughter.

“It took a while (for Richard) to wake her up. And when she woke, she had a headache,” Pitts said.

Childers then called an ambulance, which took Pitts to Summit Medical Center while Childers and the child, who had also thrown up, followed in his vehicle.

At the hospital, Pitts said, doctors found that Pitts had a carbon monoxide level of 25, Childers tested at 20-22 and Pitts’ stepdaughter’s level was 17. The poison permanently scarred Pitts’ lungs.

“My doctor said I was just inches away from the deadly point. I was not comatose, but I couldn’t open my eyes,” she said.

When the home was inspected by Arkansas Oklahoma Gas they found the leak was found coming from a  home heating unit. Stacie Pitts’ was renting the place and there was no carbon monoxide detector in the home, the landlord has since installed one.

Thank goodness they had their own carbon monoxide detector, Miley.

* There was no picture so I used Dogster member Miley.

For anyone who still thinks it’s about the breed and not the dog, this story might make you think twice.

A robber broke through the front door of  the Trawick family home in  Oklahoma City. The family dog D-boy, a Pit Bull, jumped into action and took a bullet to the head.

Roberta Trawick was sitting on the couch when a man busted in, through the front door.

“He came in, pointed a gun at me and said, ‘Get down on the ground’,” Trawick said.

The next thing Roberta knew, D-boy ran in from another room, ready to attack.

“I was too scared to move, I didn’t know what to think,” Trawick said.

But before D-boy could get a hold of the intruder, the man started shooting.

“I seen him shoot the dog twice,” Trawick said. “He shot him once in the head and he was still going after him and the guy shot him again.”

D-boy was shot three times, altogether. The intruder, apparently spooked, took off out the front door.

Unbelievably, D-boy made it through surgery and is still alive. According to Trawick, the vet said the dog’s hard head is what helped him survive. Unfortunately the family now faces vet bills in excess of $1,500 and they  don’t have enough money to cover it.

If you would like to help this heroic dog you can make a donation to:

The Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Hospital
1800 W. Memorial Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73134

Police are still looking for the man who shot the family dog. If you have any information, call Crimestoppers at 405-235-7300.

Wishing the heroic D-boy a speedy recovery.

* Photo courtesy News9.com, click here to watch their news  video.

This is an incredible story of two dogs that helped save a missing 3-year-old’s life.

Jaylynn Thorpe went missing after wandering away from his babysitter.  He was out all night in freezing cold temperatures, with only his aunt’s two puppies.

James Thorpe, Father - “We didn’t forget the issue that 17 degrees was almost unbearable.” Katherine Elliott, Guardian and Grandmother - “People all over the state of Virginia was down there looking for that child. For a while there, one time, I didn’t know whether they would find him or not.”

He was missing for 21 hours. A long time for anyone to be outside in the winter and alive. Sheriff Stanley Noblin, Halifax County Sheriff’s Dept. - “The only thing we wanted to do was just keep searching until we found him.” But something kept Jaylynn going, as he fought against time.

Sarah Ingram, Mother - “God…and those dogs.” Two puppies, that officials say, probably saved his life. “He told me that…the dogs slept up against him. And I’m sure the body heat kept him warm.” He traveled half a mile to a mile in the dark, through dense woods, even crossing a highway.

But it wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that search teams found him, lying up against a tree, with the dogs. Noblin - I would definitely call this a miracle. Thorpe - I think I just said ‘Thank you Lord’ …for us to have another chance!”

Jaylynn was brought to Halifax Regional Hospital where he is recovering.  He is doing well and has received lots of treats, hot dogs and ice cream.  I hope those puppies are also receiving some well deserved treats.

* The cuties above are Kailey’s puppies.

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.

On October 2nd  I posted Hailed A Hero, Buried A Pauper. It was about a man from Florida helping out after Hurricane Ike, who was killed saving three dogs trapped on a Texas highway.

Robert “Bob” Emery had been living alone, estranged from his family officials had noone to contact about his death.

Without anyone to claim his body, this hero risked being buried in a pauper’s grave.  All of that has changed, his long lost daughter has been located.

The e-mail from a stranger in Clear Lake was to the point, and an improbable end to a Pittsburgh woman’s 13 years of searching for the father she hadn’t spoken to since she was a kid.

“Is your father’s name Robert Emery? The whole city of Houston is looking for any relatives,” read the message.

Alaina Emery was startled as she stared at a computer screen while in the library at paralegal school.

Trembling and swept with emotion, she misunderstood the reason for the question.

“Why is the entire city of Houston looking for him?” she typed back.

The exchange would quickly lead to Alaina, now 25, realizing her long-lost father was Robert “Bob” Emery, the mysterious Hurricane Ike relief worker killed the night of Sept. 27 as he dashed onto the East Freeway to rescue three dogs stranded in the emergency lane hugging the median.

Robert Emery was a man that had many personal issues, he battled a lifelong drug addiction.  A problem that destroyed two marriages and a career as a construction worker.  However, regardless of his issues noone was surprised that he risked his life rescuing the dogs.  It seems that was the type of person he was.

For his daughter this is obviously a bittersweet ending.  In the end, after searching for her dad for many years and never finding him, it was a stranger that found her to let her know what happened to him.

“I am very saddened that I could not find him in life, but somehow he found me in death,” Emery told the Houston Chronicle by phone. “I wanted to hug him, to meet my son.”

We hope now, Robert “Bob” Emery, you can rest in peace.

What a great story to start off a Wednesday morning.  Buffy, a German Shepard, was honored posthumously by the Humane Society of the United States.

In 2007 she stopped a gunman who was robbing her owner a gunpoint, getting shot twice in the process. For this heroic act Buffy was named Valor Dog of the Year.

Buffy was chosen to receive the highest honor in the companion dog category of the Dogs of Valor Awards “because of the extraordinary courage she exhibited when she intervened during a robbery to save her owner’s life,” the Humane Society said.

On Jan. 10, 2007 in Oakland (CA), a gunman robbed Will Bartley of $400 and credit cards at his home.

That’s when Buffy ran from the yard and jumped onto the gunman, who fired two shots. One shot hit the dog in her left forelimb.

Although the vet was able to save Buffy, she eventually had to be euthanized due to complications caused from the injuries. The robber was never caught.

“We still love and miss Buffy dearly, but this award and the countless cards and letters of sympathy we have received have gone a long way to help us heal,” Bartley said in a statement.

Congratulations Buffy,  I can’t think of a more deserving girl.

One of our Dogster friends, Mica, gave me a bark about the Animal Planet’s 2008 Hero of the Year.

Her big sister Mckenna has been an animal rescuer and advocate for decades. Presently she is working with “Project POOCH”, one of the nominees.

Joan Dalton, Project POOCH Founder and Director, has been selected as one of 10 finalists, out of over 10,000 nominations, for Animal Planet’s 2008 Hero of the Year!

Some Oregonians may know what this means, but Mica and I invite you to come see what it’s all about and why we ask for your support.

We hope you’ll vote for our ‘candidate’ of choice.  Although there undoubtedly are many worthy recipients, they don’t get this close to home where we CAN help make a difference every day.

I’ve read about each of the top 10 finalists, there are some amazing candidates.  I hope all the Dogsters out there will take a minute to visit Animal Planet and cast their vote, you have until October 13th.  To find out who wins, watch Animal Planet Heroes, Dec. 4 at 10PM e/p.

A man estranged from his family, living alone in a trailer in Florida, is hailed a hero for a selfless act that has cost him his life.

Robert Emery risked his life to rescue three dogs that were stuck on a highway in Texas after hurricane Ike.

Robert “Bob” Emery, who was from Florida and in Texas to help clear storm debris, died late Saturday after dashing onto the East Freeway to reach the dogs who were huddled in the emergency lane against a cement median. He was struck by a passing motorcycle.

Thankfully the dogs were saved and eventually reunited with their owner.   However, Emery’s family has not been located, and without anyone to claim his body he could be given a pauper’s burial.

Cheryl Lang, president of the Houston-based organization, No Paws Left Behind, which works to find solutions for pets from homes being foreclosed, is among those calling Emery a hero.

Lang said he deserves better than a pauper’s burial, and is looking at ways the community can honor his memory, perhaps with a temporary pet shelter.

“He didn’t even think twice, just went out and did it,” she said of Emery trying to reach the dogs.”That says a lot about his character.”

It’s very sad that Robert Emery lost his life, it would be a tragedy if he’s buried in an unmarked grave. This man is a hero who deserves recognition.

Hopefully, if this story keeps making its way around the internet someone will know how to reach Robert “Bob” Emery’s family.

Usually we hear about sharks attacking humans, not so in this case.

Here’s a story with a  twist, human attacks shark to save his dog.

ISLAMORADA, Fla., Sept. 30 (UPI) — Greg LeNoir of Islamorada, Fla., says he had to overcome his own fear before he could save his 14-pound dog, Jake, from the jaws of a shark.

Jake, a 28-month-old rat terrier, was taking his daily swim retrieving soaked coconuts when LeNoir watched a 5-foot shark swim up and pull Jake under water, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

I would say Greg has some big kahunas, kudos to him.

“I clenched my fists and dove straight in with all my strength, like a battering ram,” LeNoir, 53, said. “I hit the back of the shark’s neck. It was like hitting concrete.”

The shark let go of Jake, who swam to shore trailing blood from punctures in his abdomen, chest and back, LeNoir said of Friday’s attack. Jake is expected to fully recover.

Jake was adopted from an animal shelter and is now part of the family.  The LeNoir’s have no two legged children so Jake is their four legged child.

It’s so nice to post a story with a happy ending.

* There was no picture of Jake so pictured above is Rocco, a Dogster member.

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?