#30. Todd, The Golden Retriever
The picture speaks for itself, doesn’t it? This brave doggo is named Todd, and he saved his human mom from a vicious rattlesnake. As they were doing a hike in Arizona, Todd realized that his human was awfully close to a rattlesnake, so he jumped in to rescue her.
The snake bit him instead of his mom, which caused an awful reaction on his face. Luckily, he made a full recovery and is now feeling better than ever. In fact, he became a local hero and even the Arizona Diamondbacks honored him before a game. We are pretty sure that this dog would do it all over again despite the pain.
#29. Three Hero Lions From Ethiopia
You would expect a lion to try to eat a person rather than defend them, but that wasn’t the case for three lions from Ethiopia. The lions were minding their own business when they saw a young girl running for her life, so they decided to do something about it.
Turns out that the girl was being chased by a man who was trying to abduct her but couldn’t achieve his goal because the three lions jumped on him and chased him off. Nobody was harmed but sadly, the man was never found. Still, the girl went back to her parents and all was well thanks to the lions.
#28. Sandy Hook Therapy Dogs
Some unexpectedly become heroes and others are trained to be one. That is the case of the Sandy Hook therapy dogs, which are specially trained to help victims cope with what happened to them. As we all know, the Sandy Hook shooting was one of the most brutal cases to ever take place in America.
For those who survived, moving on has proved extremely hard, but luckily, these dogs have helped many pull through. Many children have said that hanging out with these dogs, who belong to the Hudson Valley Golden Retrievers Club, is soothing and healing. When you pet them, all your troubles fade away for a bit.
#27. Scarlett The Cat
Scarlett the cat lived in an abandoned garage in Brooklyn, New York, which unfortunately caught fire. Since it was abandoned, firefighters didn’t think anyone was inside, so no rescue mission was planned. But then, one of the firefighters noticed something: a cat rescuing other cats from the burning building.
That cat was Scarlett, who, despite suffering severe burns, especially on her eyes, kept going in and out of the garage to save her kittens, who were trapped in the fire. By the time people realized what was going on, Scarlett was almost done with her rescue mission. All her kittens lived and her eyes recovered.
#26. Lily The Rescue Dog
Mississippi is no stranger to tornadoes. In fact, there are between 30 to 100 tornadoes a year! So government officials are very prepared for these events and have a team of rescue dogs to help with the task of protecting the community. One of them is Lily.
Lily was just recovering from a strange illness that almost left her blind when a horrible tornado struck the state in 2011. She worked 14 days without a break, rescuing people from the rubble and saving multiple lives. Her story became so famous that a children’s book was written about her.
#25. 9/11 Rescue Dogs
9/11 was a horrible event that shook not only the US, but the whole world. Over 2,700 people lost their lives and more than 6,000 were injured. Rescuers needed all the help they could get, and luckily, many dogs stepped in to help with the rescue mission.
Sadly, many people were trapped under the rubble of the Twin Towers, so finding them before it was too late was vital. More than 300 doggos were used to find people and in fact, the last person who was found, Genelle Guzman-McMillian, was found by one of the dogs. She had been trapped under the wreckage for 27 hours.
#24. Lulu, The Life-Saving Pig
Pigs are usually depicted as stupid, dirty creatures when it fact, they are some of the smartest and most loving animals in the world. They also happen to be excellent pets because of their social skills. One pet pig in particular, Lulu, even saved her human mom’s life.
What happened was that Lulu’s human suffered from a heart attack while she and Lulu were alone. Upon realizing what was going on, Lulu ran out of the house and laid down in the middle of the road and played dead to get people’s attention. A man got close to her and she suddenly stood up and led him to where her owner was. Amazing, right?
#23. Stubby the WWI Veteran
Many heroic soldiers gave their lives to fight in World War I, but what many people don’t know is that quite a few of them were indeed animals. One of them was Sergeant Stubby, who was part of the 102nd Infantry Regiment for the United States.
He might have been small in size, but his courage was huge. Stubby fought in a whopping 17 battles over the course of 18 months, and even saved his team from a surprise mustard gas attack. Afterwards, he comforted the wounded. He sadly passed away in 1926, and his regiment gave him a half-page obituary in the New York Times.
#22. The Lifeguard Beluga Whale
Freediver Yang Yun was participating in a diving competition when she almost lost her life. One of the tasks she had to do was to swim down to the bottom and stay there for as long as she could. It was all fine when she was going down, but as soon as she reached the bottom, things started to go wrong.
The competition was taking place in the freezing Arctic waters, which caused her legs to be paralyzed and this stopped her from being able to swim back up. As she was starting to panic and lose hope, a beluga whale appeared out of nowhere and gently pushed her back up to the surface where she could finally breathe.
#21. Cher Ami, The Carrier Pigeon
Back in the days of World War I, there were no cellphones or internet, and people had to communicate in efficient ways that also prevented the enemy from intercepting their messages. So, what did they use? Carrier pigeons. One particular French pigeon, Cher Ami, which means “dear friend” in French, really stole the show.
Cher Ami delivered thousands of messages for the Army, even when she was injured. She lost one of her legs but still managed to make it to her destination, delivering a message that saved an entire battalion’s lives. Her body has been displayed at the National Museum of American History ever since she passed away, and children who grew up between the 1920s and 1930s had to learn about her in school.
#20. The Hero Black Bear
A man named Robert Briggs decided to go for a hike in the California wilderness to watch a group of black bears. Briggs was peacefully sitting on a rock, enjoying the fresh air and looking at the bears from a distance when suddenly, he felt something jumped on him and started attacking him.
He remembers every detail of the situation even though it happened very fast. A mountain lion attacked him from behind and was trying to kill him, so he fought with all the strength he could gather, even though he knew that he would lose. Then, one of the black bears came to the rescue and grabbed the mountain lion by the neck. Once the mountain lion had run off, the bear looked at Briggs straight in the eye before walking away.
#19. Lefty the Bodyguard Pitbull
Pitbulls unfortunately have a bad reputation for supposedly being dangerous and aggressive, but that’s far from the truth; they’re actually very loving and loyal companions. Lefty is proof of that. In 2013, four burglars broke into her home, so she quickly took action.
When the situation escalated and one of the criminals shot at one of Lefty’s humans, she jumped in front of him and took the bullet. This saved her human’s life, and even though she had to have one of her legs amputated, she never regretted what she did. What a hero!
#18. Anti-Poacher Bloodhounds
Poaching is sadly one of Africa’s biggest problems. Many endangered species are killed every day by poachers, and governments are trying hard to stop them, but that’s no easy task. In Kenya, law enforcement is fighting this awful practice with the help of bloodhounds.
The bloodhounds are trained to track and find the scent of individual poachers that are known to be operating in the area, which has proven to be very successful. So far, the bloodhounds have greatly reduced poaching in the Mara Triangle and are expected to reduce it even more.
#17. Pisco the Therapy Llama
Llama’s are many people’s favorite animal – and for good reason: they’re friendly, cuddly, and great companions. Much like dogs, llamas are also very good at comforting people and are being used more and more as therapy animals. One particular llama that has made a name for himself in that field is Pisco.
Pisco works at a nursing home in Chicago, where patients can spend time with him and pet him to feel better. He has also worked with terminally ill people to help them face scary, traumatic moments. Pisco became so popular that he even had several news articles written about him.
#16. Toby, The Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are amazing pets that always give everything to their owners. Not only that, but they are very smart animals and know how to act when there’s an emergency. Toby, for example, saved his human mom’s life when she was choking on a piece of fruit, believe it or not.
When Debbie was having a snack, she started choking. She gave herself the Heimlich maneuver, but it didn’t work. However, Toby was paying attention and tried to do the maneuver on her. He quickly pushed her down and started jumping on her chest until she finally spit out the piece of fruit. He also kept her from passing out by licking her face until she was alright.
#15. The Hero Dolphins
Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. Their intelligence has helped them relate to humans very well and the two species are known to work great together. There have been several cases of dolphins saving humans, like the one we’re going to see next.
A man named Todd Endris was surfing when a shark attacked him. The shark got to his leg and mauled it to the bone, which made Endris think that he would not make it. But then, a group of dolphins came to the rescue and pushed the shark away. This allowed Todd to swim back to shore and get help.
#14. Sergeant Reckless
Sergeant Reckless was not only the horse with the coolest name ever, but he was also a war hero. As we’ve said before, many animals have actually aided humans in times of war, especially horses. Reckless was actually a decorated officer in the US military for her many accomplishments.
She kept calm in numerous combats and supplied ammunition to soldiers and also comforted the wounded. After the Korean War ended, Reckless retired and received two Purple Hearts and also a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. She lived the rest of her life in peace.
#13. Willie The Parrot
Parrots are incredible pets. They are very social animals who love to keep humans company and can even talk, which is one of the coolest things about them. Their ability to learn to imitate human sounds has also proven very helpful. For example, Willie the parrot saved a baby’s life by talking to his owner.
Willie noticed that the baby was choking, so he started yelling “mama, baby!” until Megan Howard, the mom, came rushing into the room. Without Willie’s help, the baby would have probably choked to death. This heroic action turned him into a local hero.
#12. Kabang, The Hero Dog
As you can see, Kabang is missing part of her snout, but she doesn’t seem too sad about it, does she? Her face is a testament to her heroic actions, which took place in the Philippines. Kabang and her owner’s daughter were walking down the street when suddenly, a motorcycle was speeding right in front of them.
Kabang quickly stood between the motorcycle and the girl in order to protect her, which caused her snout to be run over by the wheel. The girl was unharmed and Kabang, after some painful surgery, managed to recover and is now a very happy dog. Of course, she is also famous in her country.
#11. The Rescue Dolphins
A girl in California had lost all hope in life and decided to commit suicide by drowning herself in the ocean. Luckily, a group of dolphins were there at the right moment to stop her and prevent her from doing it.
The dolphins were being studied by a group of biologists who were following them. As they swam by the girl, the biologists noticed the drowning girl and also rushed to help. It is believed that the dolphins purposely veered off in the girl’s direction to try to get the scientists’ attention and save the girl. She was rescued and made a full recovery.
#10. The Kind Hippo
You might not know this, but hippos are some of the deadliest animals in the world. They have a very unpredictable character and can get aggressive towards humans very easily. And with their size and speed, they are pretty much unstoppable. Still, one particular hippo showed the world how kind, smart, and selfless hippos can really be.
Someone captured an incredible image on camera: a hippo saving a zebra from drowning. As the zebra was struggling to catch a breath, the hippo pushed her through the river until they reached a rock cluster where the zebra could finally breathe and get out of the water.
#9. Khan, The Doberman
A family in Australia wasn’t very sure about adopting a dog, but they finally decided to get one and they adopted Khan, a Doberman. Despite their doubts, Khan proved to be not only a great dog, but also a hero, as he saved the youngest daughter of the family from a snake.
Charlotte, who was only a year and a half old at the time, was playing outside with Khan. Then, the brave dog spotted a snake making its way towards Charlotte. The snake was about to bite her when Khan grabbed her by the diaper and pushed her out of the way, taking the bite of the snake instead. He fully recovered and became a hero.
#8. Kilo The Pitbull
Justin Becker was hanging out in his apartment with his Pitbull, Kilo, when a FedEx delivery man arrived. Becker opened the door and Kilo instantly started acting strange, as if he knew something was wrong. Then, Becker realized that the delivery man was actually a thief, so he had to act fast.
Becker closed the door and waited for the man to leave, and when he thought he had left, he opened the door again. Kilo went outside to check whether the man had left and suddenly, the thief shot him in the head. Kilo still managed to chase the man away, and he also made a full recovery. How brave!
#7. Buddy The Firefighter
Alaska is a beautiful place but living there has its disadvantages. Not only is it very cold, but there aren’t many people around. Sure, if you like being on your own it might not seem like a problem to you, but the truth is that, when there’s an emergency, it’s good to have neighbors and people close to help.
Buddy, a German Shepherd, was at home with his family when a fire broke out. Because the house was very isolated, Buddy ran off and tried to find someone to help. She stopped by the first car she saw and led the driver to the burning house. The man helped get the entire family out of the house unharmed.
#6. Tang, The Ship Savior
This story is quite unbelievable. Tang, a Newfoundland dog, actually managed to save an entire ship from sinking. During a snowstorm in 1919, a ship was stuck in the middle of the sea in Canada. Storms are ships’ greatest enemies, and if a ship is not prepared for that, it can prove fatal.
Sadly, the ship was on its way to sinking and all 92 passengers started to panic – well, all except for Tang. The brave doggo grabbed a rope and slowly dragged it to the shore, where all people could swim to safety. That’s right, Tang saved 92 people that night. Can you believe it?
#5. Mandy, The Goat
Goats are incredibly loving and caring animals, and Mandy the goat is proof of that. Mandy lived in a farm near Melbourne with her owner, Noel Osborne. They spent all day together as Osborne worked in the farm and Mandy always stood by his side. But one day, things went terribly wrong.
Osborne was working in the fields when he tripped and fell, causing him to break his hip. He was unable to move and there was nobody there to help except for Mandy. The sweet goat stood by his side, fed him her milk, and kept him warm for a couple days until a friend finally came around the farm.
#4. Kerry The Hero Horse
Kerry the horse was very quick to save his human mom’s life when it was in danger. Her mom was trying to get a cow and her calf to move out of the way, but when she touched the calf, the mom got very angry and attacked her.
The angry cow pushed her to the ground and tried to stomp on her, but before she could, Kerry came to the rescue. She pushed the cow away and allowed her owner to get up and flee. After the incident, Kerry became even more protective and stood by her side whenever she was around the cows.
#3. Honey The Cocker Spaniel
When Michael Bosch adopted Honey, the Cocker Spaniel, from a shelter, he had no idea she would return the favor and save his life too – and only two weeks afterwards! Honey and Bosch were in the car when Bosch made a bad turn and ended up turning the car upside down.
Bosch was trapped inside but managed to roll a window open for Honey to come out, and she wasted no time to go and get help. After running for half a mile, she reached a neighbor’s house and led him to the scene of the accident. Bosch was rescued and had no injuries.
#2. The Hero Gorilla
There have been many unfortunate incidents where people fall into different animal enclosures at a zoo, and this can prove fatal. Many animals feel threatened when this happens and their first reaction is to attack. Luckily, in this case, the opposite happened.
A boy accidentally fell into a gorilla’s enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo in 1996, and his parents panicked. However, one gorilla rushed to protect the kid from all the other gorillas in the pit until help came. She even carried him around and treated him like her own child until the zoo authorities came.
#1. Pudding, The Hero Cat
Much like Honey, the Cocker Spaniel, Pudding the cat saved his owner shortly after being adopted. In fact, it all happened within a few hours. Right when they came home from the shelter, Amy, Pudding’s owner, started convulsing due to complications with her diabetes.
Pudding jumped on her and tried to keep her conscious by swatting at her face until she was able to wake up and scream for help. Unfortunately, her son didn’t hear, so Pudding ran to his room to wake him up and lead him to where Amy was. Then, her son called an ambulance and she was saved, all thanks to Pudding.