15 Amazing Stories of Animal Heroes Who Saved People from Death (16 Photos)

The internet is filled with countless stories of animals rescued from the brink of death and adopted from shelters by kind people. Sometimes, pets can repay a person in kind and save their own life.







1. Vinnie the Cat

When the house filled with carbon monoxide, Vinnie jumped on his sleeping owner and began scratching her and meowing loudly. By the time she finally woke up, she could barely get out of bed and call 911. "If it weren't for Vinnie screaming and scratching, we wouldn't be here today," the cat's owner said.

The family believes the gas leak was caused by a faulty gas distribution system in the basement. Paramedics said another five minutes and this story would have had a sad ending.





2. Doberman Khan

Khan hadn't even been in his new home for four days when he saved his owner's 17-month-old daughter. Charlotte was playing in the backyard when Khan suddenly started growling. It later turned out that the dog had spotted a kingsnake in the grass. He tried to push the girl away, but failed. He then gently grabbed her by the diaper and threw her a meter behind him.

Khan's sudden movement startled the snake, and it bit him on the paw, but after receiving medical attention, the heroic Doberman made a full recovery.



3. Mila the Beluga Whale

The 26-year-old diver was competing in a free diving competition, which prohibits the use of any breathing equipment. The competition took place in a 6-meter-deep pool, among whales, in water cooled to Arctic temperatures. As the diver tried to return to the surface, he realized his legs were frozen and he couldn't move them. At that moment, a beluga whale grabbed his legs with its teeth and pulled him to the surface.

Fortunately, beluga whales, which live in Arctic and subarctic waters, feed on small fish and squid and have small teeth, so the diver was unharmed.



4. Kilo the Pitbull

Justin Becker and his girlfriend came home from a run when they heard a knock on the door. When they opened the door, a man dressed in a delivery uniform stood at the door. He told them his scanner was broken and asked if he could come inside to use their pen and deliver the package. As soon as the man stepped through the door, the delivery quickly turned into a robbery. Without thinking twice, Kilo, the pit bull, immediately attacked the gun-wielding robber. The robber managed to shoot the 12-year-old pit bull in the head, but the bullet ricocheted off his skull and exited his neck, missing his vital organs. After receiving medical attention, Kilo was back outside three days later.



5. Lulu the Pet Pig

When Joanne Altsman suffered a heart attack, she collapsed to the floor. Seeing this, Lulu, her daughter's pig, ran out into the street and then walked straight into the roadway, trying to attract attention. Among the indignant drivers and onlookers, a man followed the pig into the house and discovered Joanne on the floor. She was immediately taken to the hospital.



6. German Shepherd Buddy

Joe Stalnecker adopted Buddy when the dog was just 8 months old. Joe taught him how to use a phone to call 911 when he began to exhibit symptoms of an impending seizure. If Joe lost consciousness and was unable to call emergency services, Buddy was to call 911 by pressing the speed dial button with his teeth.

In 2008, a 911 call came in, but no one spoke on the other end of the line; all that could be heard was loud whining and howling. Paramedics arrived on the scene a few minutes later and found Joe Stalnecker unconscious on the floor of his home. A couple of days later, Joe was released from the hospital. His friend Buddy had saved his life.



7. Willie the Parrot

Two-year-old Hanna Kuusk could have suffocated if not for Willie the Parrot.

Megan Howard, the child's nanny and the parrot's owner, baked a pie, set it on the table to cool, and went to the bathroom. There, she heard the parrot begin screaming loudly, something like, "Mommy! Baby! Mommy! Baby!" When Megan ran into the kitchen, she saw the half-eaten pie and Hannah, her lips blue, choking on it. The girl nearly choked, but Megan quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver, and the girl spat out the ill-fated piece of pie.

Willie the parrot was nominated for an award by the local Red Cross.



8. Newfoundland Tang

In 1919, the ship Ethie struck rocks and ran aground with 93 sailors. After one sailor was swept out to sea, the others placed a rope in the mouth of Tang, the ship's Newfoundland dog, who jumped into the water and made his way to land. Imagine the sailors' surprise when Tang reached land, still holding the rope in his mouth. All 92 sailors survived and were taken to safety.

Tang was later awarded a medal for bravery in London.



9. Mandy the Goat

Austrian farmer Noel Osborne fell into a pile of manure and injured his hip. He was too far away from anyone who could have heard his cries and come to his aid. Noel lay outdoors for five days in the manure pile with a broken hip. How did he survive? He was saved by a goat named Mandy, who lay next to him, keeping him warm. She even fed him her milk and helped him survive the cold, rainy nights. Noel Osborne was eventually rescued by his friends.



10. Toby the Golden Retriever

45-year-old Debbie Parkhurst was eating an apple at home when she suddenly choked on one of the pieces. The apple slice blocked her airway, and she began choking. At that moment, her 2-year-old golden retriever, Toby, tackled her to the floor and began jumping on her chest. This acted as a Heimlich maneuver. As a result, the apple slice remained in Debbie's throat. Afterward, Toby began licking her face, preventing her from losing consciousness.



11. A Horse Named Kerry

40-year-old mother of two Fiona Boyd was alone on her family farm when she heard a calf screaming outside her window. When she went outside, she saw that the calf had lost its mother and couldn't find her among the other cows. She decided to help and take the calf to its mother in the barn. But the mother noticed her calf before it did and misinterpreted Fiona's gesture. The cow charged at Fiona, knocking her down, and then began trampling her. Fiona lay on the ground, covering her head with her hands, but when the clattering stopped, she saw that her 15-year-old horse, Kerry, who was nearby, had started kicking the enraged cow. While Kerry distracted the cow, Fiona managed to crawl to safety under an electric fence.



12. Honey the English Cocker Spaniel

One day, Michael Bosch and his dog, Honey, were involved in an SUV accident. Michael soon realized that he and Honey were trapped in the overturned vehicle. Michael somehow managed to release the dog so she could lead someone to help, although he himself was skeptical. The 5-month-old English Cocker Spaniel attracted the attention of a man standing half a mile from the overturned vehicle and led him to the scene of the accident. Rescuers later said that if it hadn't been for Honey, Michael would have died.



13. Ningnong the Elephant

Eight-year-old Amber Mason, along with her mother and stepfather, went on vacation to Phuket, Thailand. There, she became close friends with a four-year-old elephant named Ningnong. Little did either of them know that in 2004, the area where they settled would be devastated by a tsunami.

One day, while playing on the beach with other elephants, Ningnong sensed something was wrong and ran back to the girl. Therefore, when the tsunami hit the city, the little girl was unharmed, as Ningnong shielded her from the elements with his own body.



14. Chihuahua Chi Chi

Mary Lane and her husband were relaxing on the beach with their Chihuahua, Chi Chi, who was very calm and simply sat in a chair. Suddenly, the dog jumped up and ran along the beach, barking loudly and dragging a small chair tied to a leash across the sand. Following the dog, the couple noticed two elderly women caught in the storm surge and drowning, unable to reach shore. Mary and her husband quickly pulled them to shore, thereby saving the women's lives. When the couple returned to their vacation spot, they found Chi Chi sleeping peacefully in his chair.



15. Pudding the Cat

A cat named Pudding saved the life of his owner, Amy Jung, on the same day he was adopted from the shelter.

Amy Jung suffered from diabetes, and when she had a seizure, she fell into a diabetic coma. As soon as this happened, Pudding immediately began biting and pushing his owner until she regained consciousness. Amy was very weak and therefore could not call out loudly for her son, Ethan, who was sleeping in the next room. Then Pudding ran into Ethan's room and began biting and pushing him until he woke up and called 911 for his mother. All the doctors agreed that the cat saved Amy's life.