• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Animal Behavior College

Animal Behavior College

Where Animal Lovers Pursue Animal Careers

Feefo logo
Live chat
Live chat
800-795-3294
  • Alumni Login
    • Dog Obedience Program Alumni
    • Cat Training Program Alumni
    • Grooming Instruction Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program Alumni
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program Alumni
    • Service Dog Trainer Alumni
  • Student Login
    • Cat Training Program
    • Dog Obedience Program
    • Grooming Instruction Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program
    • Service Dog Trainer
MENUMENU
  • Programs
    • Dog Obedience Instructor
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
      • Certification
      • Success Stories
      • Students Saving Lives
      • Find A Dog Trainer
    • Veterinary Assistant
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
      • Success Stories
    • Grooming Instruction Program
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
      • Success Stories
      • Find A Pet Groomer
    • On Campus Dog Trainer Program
      • Traditional Classroom Environment in Los Angeles California
      • Enroll Using Your Military Benefits
    • Continuing Education
      • Short Term Programs
    • Cat Management and Training
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Find A Cat Trainer
    • Aquarium Maintenance (online)
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Salary Information
      • What Is an Aquarist?
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Service Dog Trainer Program
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Career
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Education & Experience Requirements
  • Military Benefits
  • GI Bill® Benefits
  • Locations
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Animal Career Resources
  • About ABC
        • About Animal Behavior College
        • Our Expert Faculty
        • Press, News & Info
        • Press Releases
        • BPPE Disclosures
        • Animal Behavior College FAQ
        • Contact Us
        • Why ABC?
        • Students Saving Lives
        • Licensure, Ratings & Approvals
        • Sponsors & Associates
        • Gift Certificates
  • Blog
  • Affiliates
  • Alumni Login
    • Dog Obedience Program Alumni
    • Cat Training Program Alumni
    • Grooming Instruction Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program Alumni
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program Alumni
    • Service Dog Trainer Alumni
  • Student Login
    • Cat Training Program
    • Dog Obedience Program
    • Grooming Instruction Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program
    • Service Dog Trainer Program
Home » Lifestyle » Four-Legged Heroes

Four-Legged Heroes

Beloved canines who did more than save the day.

Heroes come in different shapes and sizes—and species. While cats, horses and even parrots have performed acts that have saved lives, dogs hold the record for the most acts of heroism in the animal kingdom. Here are just a few canine heroes.

Duke

Duke the Dachshund A rescued Dachshund named Duke saved the life of his infant “sister,” Harper Brousseau, in 2012, in Portland, Conn. The little girl’s parents woke up one night with Duke jumping on the bed, shaking violently. The Brousseaus had never seen him act this way and knew something was wrong in the house. They ran into the baby’s room and found that Harper wasn’t breathing. They called 911 and paramedics revived the baby before taking her to the hospital, where she made a full recover. Harper’s parents credit Duke with saving their daughter’s life.

 

John D

Rescue Border Collie
Photo courtesy of Verna Higgins/VHiggins Photography

All search and rescue dogs are heroes, but some stand out among the rest. One of these dogs is John D, a rescue Border Collie who is capable of detecting ovarian cancer in humans, as well as recovering victims of drowning and natural disasters. In 2013, John D became part of the Ovarian Cancer Detection Study at University of Arkansas for Medical Science, and was trained to detect cancer in urine samples. For his work, he was named the American Humane Association 2013 Hero Dog of the Year.

 

Xena the Warrior Puppy

Xena the Warrior PuppySome dogs are heroes in small ways. Such as Xena the Warrior Puppy, who nearly died before going on to become a miracle worker to a little boy with autism.

Xena was brought into a Dekalb, Ga., animal shelter by a good Samaritan in 2013 after collapsing in a front yard. It appeared she had been locked in a cage without food or water for a long time. She was near death.

With vet care and nursing by a shelter employee, Xena recovered and was placed up for adoption. When the mother of an autistic boy named Jonny saw Xena’s picture online, she fell in love with her.

Jonny’s autism left him uncommunicative. However, that all changed the day the family adopted Xena. Jonny bonded instantly with Xena, and the two became inseparable. The once silent boy became interactive and chatty. His parents credit Xena with this miracle.

 

Cairo

Belgian MalinoisIn May 2011, when Navy SEAL Team Six raided the compound of Osama bin Laden, they did so with the help of a Belgian Malinois named Cairo. Cairo’s job was to assist the SEALs by sniffing for explosives, searching for false walls or hidden doors, and keeping people in the neighborhood from coming close to the compound.

A few days after the successful raid, President Obama met with the members of SEAL Team Six. The team included Cairo, who received presidential congratulations for a job well done.

 

Bruno

German Shepherd Bruno
Photo courtesy of the Anaheim Police Department

In March 2014, a German Shepherd named Bruno and his human partner, Anaheim Police Department Officer R.J. Young, responded to a call of a man firing on probation officers. Bruno found the shooter hiding in a trashcan. When Bruno lifted the lid of the can, the man started shooting. Bruno was struck in the face. Police fatally wounded the shooter, and Bruno was rushed to the hospital.

After numerous surgeries to repair his jaw over a two-year period, Bruno was eventually euthanized in May 2016 due to complications from his injuries. He is remembered by the City of Anaheim, Calif., as a canine hero who protected the lives of the city’s human officers.


About the Author: Audrey Pavia is an award-winning freelance writer and author of “The Labrador Retriever Handbook.” She is a former staff editor of Dog Fancy, Dog World and The AKC Gazette magazines. To learn more about her work, visit www.audreypavia.com and hollywoodhoofbeats.net/

Primary Sidebar

Tags

educationhumane societystay dog training commandteach dog staytrain a dog to stayteach your dog to roll overtraining a dog to roll overtraveling with petsbenefits of rawhiderawhide bonesaspcadog jumpingtrain your dog to cometrain dog to jumphow to teach your dog to speaktraining dog to speakeasy dog trickshow to train a dog to play deadteach a dog to play deadtraining dog to play deadlick faceshake pawdog flash mobhow to teach a dog to stayteach dog to come when calledrequirementsanimal hospital jobsbest dog trainerchoose a dog trainerdog trainer ratesfind a dog trainerhow to find a dog trainerkeeperkennel attendantsvet assistant programvet assistant schoolveterinary care jobshow to get a job at a veterinary hospitalhow to teach a dog to comework in veterinary hospitalhow much do vet assistants makedog training toyskong dog toyhow to train your dog to sitteach your dog to sittrain dog to sittrain your dog to sitcome when calledhow do you train a dog to come when called every timedoggy dance
  • Main
    • Locations
    • Affiliates
    • Find A Dog Trainer
    • Find A Pet Groomer
    • Find a Cat Trainer
    • Post a Job
    • Evolution of ABC
  • Dog Trainer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Dog Groomer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Cat Trainer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Aquarium Maintenance Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Zookeeper Assistant Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Service Dog Trainer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Education & Experience Requirements

Footer

Apex Career School - A subsidiary of Animal Behavior College


Interested in a career outside of the animal industry?
Visit our subsidiary school!

bbb logo

Rating A+ The BBB only accredits the business management of a school, not the quality of the curriculum, or training programs.

STATE LICENSURE AND APPROVAL
Animal Behavior College is a private vocational school approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (www.bppe.ca.gov) under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 and Title 5. California Code of Regulations Division 7.5. Private Postsecondary Education. The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education approval means that this institution and its operation comply with the standards established under the law for occupational instruction by private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional approval is subject to continual review and the institution must reapply for approval every five years.
DISCLAIMER
Please be advised that Animal Behavior College ("ABC") is the exclusive entity authorized to provide certifications and/or degrees from Animal Behavior College. Moreover, such certifications and/or degrees are only conferred by ABC following a student's completion of an ABC-administered program. No other entity or individual has authority to confer certifications and/or degrees on ABC's behalf. Any other entity or individual who attempts to do so is acting without express or implied authority from ABC.
GI BILL® TRADEMARK ATTRIBUTION
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Click here to view Animal Behavior College’s Annual Reports
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
Animal Behavior College, 27509 Avenue Hopkins, First Floor, Valencia CA 91355-3910 Contact Us
© 2000 - 2023 Animal Behavior College. Questions? email@animalbehaviorcollege.com
loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location