When you read the words “rescue” and “dog” in the same sentence, it is usually the case of a humancoming to the rescue of an animal – but not always. It is not without reason that dogs are known as man’s best friend. Over the centuries, there have been several heartwarming incidents of dogs saving their owners from danger. While some of these loyal pets have been immortalised in statues – like George the terrier, who died protecting a group of children from a pit bull attack in 2007 – others have had their stories celebrated in the form of books and articles.

The recent famous case of a dog saving his owner from choking has put the spotlight on pets who risked their lives to save their masters.Labrador prevents man from choking A few days ago, Lexi, an 18-month-old Labrador from UK received celebrity status, when he performed a rare canine ‘Heimlich maneuver’ on his 67-year-old owner Alan Spencer. Alan choked on his food while eating and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. Before he could black out, Lexi jumped on his back on all his fours and the piece was dislodged. This saved his life.

Dog brings woman back from the dead Last month, beauty therapist Joanna Mellor from England went into cardiac arrest and died for almost 30 minutes while her boyfriend was asleep next to her. But her five-year-old pet dog Leo realised something was wrong; he howled and woke her boyfriend up. Looking at her erratic breathing, her boyfriend instantly knew something was wrong and dialled for medical help, which saved Joanna’s life.

Puppy looks after toddler in Siberian wilderness Last year, three-year-old Karina Chikitova from the Sakha Republic in Russia, got lost in the forest for 11 days, after she was separated from her mother. When her family realised that the girl was missing, a massive search and rescue operation was launched. But they almost gave up hope after their search yielded no results. Karina’s puppy, who had been with her when she went missing, came back home alone a few days later. The pup eventually led rescuers to the exact location in the forest where Karina was living. It is said that the girl survived the bitter cold at night most probably by hugging her puppy to stay warm!

Pooch helps owner detect cancerous tumour

46-year-old Josie Conlon was unaware that she had a grade three tumour growing in her breast, until her two-year-old collie Ted began to cry, paw and nuzzle at her chest one day! Ted, who is a British rescue dog, was rarely affectionate with Josie, so when he placed his hand on her breast, she realised something was wrong. Luckily, the cancer was detected before it could spread to the rest of her body.

Cat saves boy who was attacked by dog

Tara the cat became a worldwide internet sensation, after a video of her saving a four-year-old boy Jeremy, who was being attacked by a dog, went viral on social media. Also, known as ‘The Hero Cat’, Tara rescued her caretakers’ child, who was being viciously bitten by a neighbour’s dog. She threw herself on the big canine and chased it away from Jeremy. Since then, Tara has been bestowed with many awards, including the Blue Tiger Award, which is only conferred to military service dogs. The community in California, where she resides, is so proud of her that they have an official holiday created in her honour.

Honorary mention

In February this year, people around the world were praying for the recovery of a nine-year-old boxer, Carmen, who risked her life while trying to save owner Ben Ledford from a blazing fire in his home. The canine, who was kept in an oxygen chamber and on a ventilator for days after the accident, was found covering Ben’s face, trying to protect him in the residential fire. Though Ben succumbed to his burn injuries in the hospital, Carmen’s condition has improved.