# Pets as Heroes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540 "2007-05-10T13:53:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/1 "2007-05-10T13:53:36Z")
You read about it all the time - Chihuahua Saves Toddler From Pitbull, Cat Alerts Family to Carbon Monoxide Threat, Collie Warns That Timmy Is In A Well. Well, it appears that our own dear kitty Cleo Rose is a hero too! Last night, in unusual move, she jumped on the bed, waking my husband and alerting him to the fact that his man crush, excuse me, “favorite actor” Antonio Banderas was on Leno. Anyone else have a heroic pet? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/2 "2007-05-10T14:19:53Z")
My dog Molly once didn’t bark when the Jehovah’s Witnesses were at the door. I considered that quite heroic. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/3 "2007-05-10T14:23:34Z")
Well, then, Molly’s awesome too. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/4 "2007-05-10T17:34:13Z")
Several years ago, we had a beautiful black Labrador retriever named Lwaxana. We called her Loxie. She was, from puppyhood, very neurotic and timid, but with occasional outbursts of unexplained rage. Our veterinarian described her as “schizophrenic.” We doted on Loxie, and we tried to give her a good life in a loving home with other dogs and cats. Every now and then she would act really nutty, and a couple of times she scared us. One night I was lying in bed in the dark, recovering from the flu. Loxie was lying beside me. I reached over and petted her on the head, and she went berserk, growling and barking and biting. I was weak and feeble; Loxie weighed nearly 100 pounds, and I couldn’t throw her off. I was screaming and bleeding and thrashing around on the bed, and I couldn’t get Loxie to let go of my arm. She had bitten through so deeply that her teeth met. Then Bambi, our 30-pound terrier, came rushing to my defense. Bambi deflected the attack, incurring injury to herself. I do believe I might have lost this battle if it hadn’t been for Bambi’s courage. Thanks, Bam. Good dog. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/5 "2007-05-10T18:53:47Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Several years ago, we had a beautiful black Labrador retriever named Lwaxana. We called her Loxie. She was, from puppyhood, very neurotic and timid, but with occasional outbursts of unexplained rage. Our veterinarian described her as “schizophrenic.” We doted on Loxie, and we tried to give her a good life in a loving home with other dogs and cats. Every now and then she would act really nutty, and a couple of times she scared us. One night I was lying in bed in the dark, recovering from the flu. Loxie was lying beside me. I reached over and petted her on the head, and she went berserk, growling and barking and biting. I was weak and feeble; Loxie weighed nearly 100 pounds, and I couldn’t throw her off. I was screaming and bleeding and thrashing around on the bed, and I couldn’t get Loxie to let go of my arm. She had bitten through so deeply that her teeth met. Then Bambi, our 30-pound terrier, came rushing to my defense. Bambi deflected the attack, incurring injury to herself. I do believe I might have lost this battle if it hadn’t been for Bambi’s courage. Thanks, Bam. Good dog. [/QUOTE] :eek: Wow that is pretty scary. Did you get rid of Loxie after this? It seems like the good times you had with her were not enough to make up for the times she went batshit. Also, neither of the links work, might want to check the coding. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/6 "2007-05-10T19:02:47Z")
[Notable animal heroes](http://www.pdsa.org.uk/page309.html). ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/7 "2007-05-10T19:08:00Z")
This isn’t really particularly heroic, but perhaps indicates future heroic tendencies … My friend was out walking my dog. When she came home she realized that her cell phone was missing. So she went out to retrace her steps. The dog took her right to it, and stopped. As soon as she found it she recalled when she dropped it: she hadn’t noticed that the phone had fell, but the dog stopped walking then too. She had to cajole him into getting moving again. He tried to tell her “Hey! You dropped your phone!” and when she didn’t listen, he had to take her back to the spot to find it again. Well, he’s MY hero, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/8 "2007-05-10T19:44:27Z")
[QUOTE=Cowboy8467] :eek: Wow that is pretty scary. Did you get rid of Loxie after this? It seems like the good times you had with her were not enough to make up for the times she went batshit. Also, neither of the links work, might want to check the coding. [/QUOTE] We had Loxie put down. We loved her, but how can you live with a dog after she has tried to kill you? We couldn’t in conscience have found another home for her, knowing that she might do the same thing to someone else. Sorry about the bad links. I’ll try again: [Loxie](http://www.mortalwombat.com/Image/Loxie.jpg) (the bad dog) [Bambi](http://www.mortalwombat.com/Special/Pets/Bambi.jpg) (the good dog) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/9 "2007-05-10T20:21:26Z")
[QUOTE=Caricci] Last night, in unusual move, she jumped on the bed, waking my husband and alerting him to the fact that his man crush, excuse me, “favorite actor” Antonio Banderas was on Leno. [/QUOTE] 😛 The dog next door was heroic over the winter. After her humans dug her a path, she went the extra mile and stopped shitting in front of my door. Good dog. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/10 "2007-05-10T22:46:05Z")
Though I have no physical evidence of it, I’m convinced there are deadly invisible bugs that come out and go straight for the head of my wife and I while we’re sleeping. Every night. At 3 am. But these deadly invisible bugs have a mortal enemy: our cat Tammy, who always manages to fend them off by pouncing and scratching and mewing around our pillows at that time every night until the threat is gone. A true hero. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/11 "2007-05-10T23:21:18Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Though I have no physical evidence of it, I’m convinced there are deadly invisible bugs that come out and go straight for the head of my wife and I while we’re sleeping. Every night. At 3 am. But these deadly invisible bugs have a mortal enemy: our cat Tammy, who always manages to fend them off by pouncing and scratching and mewing around our pillows at that time every night until the threat is gone. A true hero. [/QUOTE] Tammy must really be the wind beneath your wings. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/12 "2007-05-10T23:25:20Z")
More like the Fuzz against my Face when I wake up a few hours later. 🙂 Love her to death, though. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/13 "2007-05-11T01:42:27Z")
My husband is away this week on a business trip. Our [puppy](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/6216/661/1600/733748/IMG_2074.jpg)[Duncan](http://bp3.blogger.com/_YrQtV0f_mEc/ReHmFatPWZI/AAAAAAAAAAM/5vvOT12Amls/s1600-h/DuncanCameraPhone15weeks.jpg) (those were four and two months ago, sorry I have nothing more recent), who has never met a dog or person that he doesn’t love to pieces, appears to have decided that he needs to take up the slack and protect me and the house. He’s suddenly barking like crazy at every critter or person that even comes close to our property. And then he puffs out his chest and looks all proud and noble. ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/14 "2007-05-11T05:36:40Z")
I don’t know if this qualifies as heroic, but my Bobbie girl was a sweet lab mix who loved to go to the park. One day, we were strolling around, and she was off lead (I know, but she was very obedient and would come when called back). She was romping near a tree line and suddenly stopped, looked up back into the trees and started barking. There was no one else in the park that I could see, so I thought she was barking at a squirrel or some other critter. She immediately circled back to me, then sat at my feet facing the woods, looking very alert and staring into the trees. I thought something startled her. Then I saw this scruffy looking man come out of the woods, and he was glaring at the two of us and headed off in a different direction. He was kind of creepy looking and Bobbie was just quivering and her hackles were up. I put the leash back on her and we went home. A week later, two women reported they were raped on a street over from that park. They caught the guy . . . and the picture of him in the paper looked just like the guy Bobbie had flushed from the woods. I have no proof, but I think she picked up on the guy’s spiky vibes and went to protect her Mom. Did I mention she was a great dog? ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/15 "2007-05-11T06:59:08Z")
My friend’s dog, Bandit, saved the lives of her (pregnant at the time), her husband and three kids when he woke them during a fire. It was a serial arson and they lost pretty much everything, but no one was hurt, including Bandit. _Good_ dog! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/16 "2007-05-11T11:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] [Notable animal heroes](http://www.pdsa.org.uk/page309.html). [/QUOTE] There are some amazing stories in that link. This one - > [@](#): > > ob - Collie > War Dog No. 471/332 Special Air Service > Date of Award: 22 January 1945 > “Took part in landings during North African Campaign with an Infantry unit and later served with a Special Air Unit in Italy as patrol and guard on small detachments lying-up in enemy territory. His presence with these parties saved many of them from discovery and subsequent capture or destruction. Rob made over 20 parachute descents.” - made me wonder how on earth a dog manages a parachute jump? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/17 "2007-05-11T13:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=Stinkum] I don’t know if this qualifies as heroic, but my Bobbie girl was a sweet lab mix who loved to go to the park. One day, we were strolling around, and she was off lead (I know, but she was very obedient and would come when called back). She was romping near a tree line and suddenly stopped, looked up back into the trees and started barking. There was no one else in the park that I could see, so I thought she was barking at a squirrel or some other critter. She immediately circled back to me, then sat at my feet facing the woods, looking very alert and staring into the trees. I thought something startled her. Then I saw this scruffy looking man come out of the woods, and he was glaring at the two of us and headed off in a different direction. He was kind of creepy looking and Bobbie was just quivering and her hackles were up. I put the leash back on her and we went home. A week later, two women reported they were raped on a street over from that park. They caught the guy . . . and the picture of him in the paper looked just like the guy Bobbie had flushed from the woods. I have no proof, but I think she picked up on the guy’s spiky vibes and went to protect her Mom. Did I mention she was a great dog? [/QUOTE] That’s pretty amazing! I got chills from reading this. ---
**Author:** ![melangell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@melangell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melangell)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/18 "2007-05-11T14:37:58Z")
My ferret room is the renovated garage in the house we rent. Every year, we get [spider crickets](http://www.stlzoo.org/images/cave_cricket.jpg), which are absolutely horrific little beasties :eek:. My ferrets are very dutiful about killing these ugly buggers whenever they can, which makes them my heroes since I am totally freaked out by these awful, jumping nasties. Also, prior to getting the ferrets, we were afraid that mice were beginning to enter the house through that room. Since we got the ferrets, not a single indication of any mouse activity :D. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/19 "2007-05-11T18:29:09Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] There are some amazing stories in that link. This one - - made me wonder how on earth a dog manages a parachute jump? :eek: [/QUOTE] I’m guessing it’s a tandem jump! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540/20 "2007-05-11T19:34:12Z")
[QUOTE=cbawlmer] I’m guessing it’s a tandem jump! [/QUOTE] _Two_ dogs?!? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-as-heroes/403540.md?page=2)