The story was so shocking, that everyone wanted to hear the full version. It sparked the interests of everyone around.
The alarming story even caught the attention of local FOX 5 news. They sent their team out and Kailey was hailed as a DeKalb County hero!
In one concerted effort to save the dog, Jacqueline Berlin decided to foster Kailey. She had been caring for the dog for a few months, but now the clock was ticking. In a desperate move, she made a public plea on behalf of the extremely nervous but lovable dog, with just two days left to spare!
That day, posting a photo of Kailey and a description of her dire circumstance on the DeKalb County Animal Services Facebook page, Jacqueline Berlin crossed her fingers and hoped for the best. The post reached out with high-octane emo appeal.
Explaining first that the shelter dog was super-snuggly but struggled with severe trust issues due to being abused as a puppy, she went on to post the following...
“Is an evening at home surfing the web or cuddling with a loved one watching Netflix your idea of bliss? . . . Meet your doggie soulmate: Kailey.”
The public plea worked! Suzy Chandler applied to adopt. It was a perfect match. The public plea worked! Suzy Chandler applied to adopt. It was a perfect match.
According to Chandler, “The story of what she had been through, it just pulled on our heartstrings, we just thought we would be the perfect people for her.”
She and Keith Santer-Perham took Kailey home with them. They felt it was the perfect fit, and the three of them were getting along wonderfully.
Everything was perfect until one day just after Christmas, a few weeks later. Kailey started growling.
Kailey started growling and barking, and she wouldn’t stop. At first her newly adoptive caretaker, Suzy Chandler, was confused. “All of a sudden she just started barking and looking at us and growling like trying to get our attention,” Chandler said.
Explaining first that the shelter dog was super-snuggly but struggled with severe trust issues due to being abused as a puppy, she went on with this entreaty: “Is an evening at home surfing the web or cuddling with a loved one watching Netflix your idea of bliss? . . . Meet your doggie soulmate: Kailey.”
The public plea worked! Suzy Chandler applied to adopt. It was a perfect match.
Jacqueline described Kailey as a “Velcro dog who wants nothing more than to be with you.” Jacqueline was desperate to find her faithful friend a forever home and hoped that her words would receive a response.
It worked – and Kailey’s life was about to change for the better.
According to Chandler, “The story of what she had been through, it just pulled on our heartstrings, we just thought we would be the perfect people for her.”
She and Keith Santer-Perham took Kailey home with them.
Everything was perfect until one day just after Christmas, a few weeks later. Kailey started growling.
Kailey started growling and barking, and she wouldn’t stop. At first her newly adoptive caretaker, Suzy Chandler, was confused. “All of a sudden she just started barking and looking at us and growling like trying to get our attention,” Chandler said.
Chandler considered Kailey might need a potty break, so she took her outside.
Right away, Kailey pulled Chandler over to the side yard, and that’s when she discovered that the dog whose life she had just saved, just saved the life of everyone in the nearby vicinity.
According to Chandler, “She pulled me directly over to the side yard. Right away I smelled overpowering gas and a loud whooshing sound.”
Immediately she called 911. The fire department responded and confirmed that Kailey had detected an extremely hazardous gas leak.
The responders were then able to repair the rupture in the gas line and perform air monitoring tests for further preventative measure.
Chandler’s 911 call prevented a potential disaster from striking a neighborhood that included a nearby apartment building full of people.
Just one spark, and a major catastrophe could not have been avoided. From rescue dog to hero dog. What a difference a few weeks can make!
The story was so shocking, that everyone wanted to hear the full version. It sparked the interests of everyone around.
The alarming story even caught the attention of local FOX 5 news. They sent their team out and Kailey was hailed as a DeKalb County hero!
When asked what he thought of the excitement surrounding his new pet, co-caretaker Keith Santer-Perham said some sweet words...
“I thought it was awesome. Kailey is a really, really good dog, and I thought that was just a nice touch.” They both hope that the experience inspires others to save a pet’s life.
Suzy Chandler also had something to say about these noble creatures. She went on to stress the importance of adopting a dog, instead of buying one.
“If you have the space, you have room in your heart to take in a needy animal, to love on them,” Chandler said, “I mean, it comes back to you tenfold.”
She also shared information that she had learned at the DeKalb County animal shelter about the importance of pet adoption during the winter, especially just after Christmas.
A much larger number of pets need adoption after the new year, due to the fallout of unwanted Christmas gifts. Many unwanted pets are abandoned during this time of year.
At the DeKalb shelter, an organization called LifeLine Animal Project has been trying to increase pet adoptions and hoping to make DeKalb a “no-kill” shelter.
The organization uses a holistic approach to address pet overpopulation and, since 2013, when they teamed up with the shelter, LifeLine has brought adoption rates up 150 percent!
This is an amazing increase in adoption numbers! It is extremely critical for people to understand the importance of adoption.
These dogs have a lot to offer, and they can not only become amazing companions, but even save your life when you least expect it!
The best way to decrease shelter overpopulation is by finding homes for abandoned pets. LifeLine has been very successful reaching out to the community, and they rely on local residents for their success.
One day they’ll ensure pets like Kailey never have to sit on “doggie death row” again. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll become the town hero instead. But this isn't the only story of a supremely heroic canine, read on to learn about these amazing dogs and how they became heroes...
Military Mutts
“I firmly believe I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him,” said Chris Duke, Georgia National Guardsman. Duke, who was serving in Afghanistan at the time, describes the camaraderie of a soldier’s best friend. In this case they were three local dogs - Sasha, Target and Rufus. The strays, who were adopted by American soldiers serving in the War, lived on the barracks and were great companions to the servicemen. The dogs helped them cope with the perils of war. “A lot of us used the three of them as an escape when you’re homesick,” Duke said. One February night, the three unofficial guard dogs began barking outside of the barracks. A suicide bomber had attempted to enter, but the dogs attacked, barking and biting him until he detonated his pack. Inside, the entire unit survived the attack. Miraculously, the dogs saved the lives of 50 soldiers.
Sadly, Sasha had to be put down because her injuries were severe. Target and Rufus were nursed back to health. When Chris Duke returned home a month later, he longed for the dog that had saved his life. A veterans’ charity group called Hope for the Warriors responded to his request, and brought the dogs home for adoption. “This was going to mean a lot to him,” Robin Kelleher, President of Hope for the Warriors said, “So whatever we needed to do to get this wish done we were going to do that.” Other organizations joined in on the good cause, and in less than three months, $21,000 was raised on social media, enough to transfer the dogs from Afghanistan. Rufus went home with Duke, and Target went to Arizona to live with another veteran. A hero retirement for all.
Brutis the Brave
Brutis, a good looking Golden, jumped in front of a venomous snake to save a young child’s life. He received the National Hero Dog Award (obviously!). The coral snake, which is one of the most venomous snakes in North America, attacks with a sharp bite which may not seem overly painful. In a couple hours, however, the victim may be dead from respiratory failure. The poison excreted from its fangs enters the body and paralyzes breathing muscles.
On a Saturday afternoon in 2004, the 7-year-old golden retriever was outside near some children, when he confronted the snake and got bit. The dog nearly died of the bite wound it sustained protecting a young child. But as soon as he recovered, Brutis was flown out to Los Angeles to collect his National Hero Dog Award. The committee said he deserved his “top dog” status. It took Brutis nearly three months and $5,000 in vet bills to fully recover, according to his owner Fran Oreto. She said it was well worth it. The young child who Brutis saved was her own grandchild.
The Nation’s Most Famous Guide Dog
Roselle, a yellow Lab, won the 2002 British Dickin Medal (a prestigious award created for animals that served gallantly during WWII), appeared on Larry King Live, CBS Moring Show, and Regis and Kelly, was celebrated on a 2002 Rose Parade float, and won the American Hero Dog of the Year, posthumously, in 2011. Sadly, Roselle died in July of 2011, but she lived a life of service and honor. Roselle was a guide dog. Her owner, Michael Hingson, blind since birth, felt so indebted that he penned a book about her called Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and The Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero the year Roselle died.
It was an average day for Michael Hingson, as he was preparing for a seminar up on the 78th floor of the WTC, with Roselle curled up under his office chair. The impact of a passenger jet about 15 stories above woke the dog, and she went into action. Leading Hingson to safety, Roselle calmly led him and 30 others down stairwell B, amongst smoke, noxious fumes and confusion. About half way down, Roselle stopped to greet the crew of firemen who were heading up. The descent down the stairwell took about an hour. When they exited Tower 1, Roselle continued her calm lead of HIngson’s steady hand. Tower 2 had just collapsed. Debris was falling from the sky, pandemonium in progress, yet Roselle did exactly as she was supposed to, and boarded her owner onto the subway to remove him from danger. Once home, she played happily with another dog at the house, as if nothing had happened. All in a day’s work.
Zoey the Chihuahua
Clocking in at five pounds, the weight of a small laptop, Zoey would be on the hero dog hall of fame, if there was one. Instead she received the Shining World Hero Award, and her owners are proud holders of a plaque in honor of Zoey’s bravery. It all happened on a beautiful Colorado day. A toddler and pup Zoey, only ten months old, were playing in the backyard when a diamondback rattlesnake slithering through the grass was making its way toward the one-year-old toddler.
As it began to coil up and prepare to strike, rattling its presence, the tiny dog Zoey courageously jumped in the path between the child and the snake and took a bite to the head. Letting out a loud yip, Zoey got the attention of her owner. He thought the Chihuahua was going to die for sure, but rushed it to the vet, just in case. Zoey’s head was swollen to the size of a softball and she almost lost an eye, but the anti-venom at the vet saved her. And, miraculously, her heroic act saved the toddler.
Katrina the Black Lab
During the national emergency unleashed by Hurricane Katrina, many worthy of awards of valor and bravery are found in the storm’s aftermath. Katrina was one of them. During the rising floodwaters, Katrina, a black Labrador, found a man near drowning and dragged him to safety.
Later, rescue teams brought Katrina to safety. The rescued man told news teams the amazing story. He said the dog saved his life. Katrina was honored at the Genesis Awards with a standing ovation. A hero indeed.
Shana to the Rescue
Eve and Norman Fertig took in Shana when she was only two weeks old. The half wolf, half German shepherd mix needed someone to care for her. The puppy was sick and the Fertig’s nursed her back to health. One day, Shana would pay them back tenfold. It was a cold fall afternoon when the elderly couple went out for their daily walk in the nature sanctuary they manage from their property. Checking in on the injured local animals they care for at the New York state wild animal sanctuary, suddenly, said Eve, “…the lights went out and I realized something was wrong.” A massive fallen tree had pinned them down, there was no returning home. “I turned and said to my husband, ‘I think we could die out here,’” Eve recalled. Trapped, there was nothing they could do but hug and pray. It was getting colder and they weren’t dressed for the weather change..
Shana had gone out looking for the couple, as she always did that time of day. When she realized her caretakers were trapped behind the large fallen tree, just like Clark Kent to Superman, she transformed into Shana the Hero Dog. Digging and digging - for three long hours - the 160-pound shepherd mix dug a large tunnel until she reached the couple. She then dragged them back through the tunnel to safety. When they got back to the house, there was no electricity and no heat due to storm damage, so Shana snuggled with them to keep them warm until help could arrive the next day. Shana is the first dog to receive the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment’s Hero Award for bravery. Previously, only humans had received the honor. She deserves it.
Honey’s an Angel
A man who rolled his SUV half way down a ravine until a tree limb interrupted its tumble, impaling the vehicle with an abrupt halt, had nothing left to do but pray. Literally, he prayed: “Help me stay calm, Lord. You’ve given me a good life. A great wife. A great little dog. Watch over them if it’s my time. And if not, please help me out of this.”
His little dog responded. Able to escape the SUV through a small hole in the window, it ran back toward the house. Stopping at an unknown neighbor’s, little Honey, agitated and scampering around in circles, finally got the neighbor to follow it to the place of the accident. The neighbor found the man and called 911, realizing at last the reason for Honey’s frantic behavior. Honey, the English Cocker Spaniel, stayed with the man during his hospital stay, curling up at the foot of his bed. When the man later looked at the adoption papers from the shelter where Honey was adopted, her adoption name had been Angel. She’s either an angel or a hero. Maybe both.
A Rare Rottie
Eve, Kathie Vaughan’s pet Rottweiler, saved her life. It was like a scene from an action movie. Squeezed in her crashed van, tipped over on its side and filling up with noxious fumes, Kathie was trapped. Eve, the 104-pound Rottweiler, grabbed Kathie by the leg and pulled her out of the vehicle, dragging her about 20 feet away. Kaboom! The cab exploded.
Kathie is a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down. There was no way she could have escaped the van on her own. Luckily, Eve had the strength to move her away from the burning van. Rottweilers, notoriously muscular dogs, were bred as work dogs during the Roman Empire. They’re known for their loyalty as well. Kathie knows her as her hero.
A Heroic K-9
Rocky, as a police dog for the Lakewood, Colorado police department was hailed as a hero. The K-9 made national news in 2002 when he chased down an armed burglar, took a bullet to the paw, and captured the assailant. The bullet didn’t slow the 9-year-old Dutch shepherd down, he healed fine and served for several more years.
Rocky died in August of 2008, of prostate cancer. The day he died, Rocky’s partner, patrol officer Darren Maurer said, “It’s the worst day of my life.” Maurer had taken care of Rocky since he was a year and a half.
Alligator versus Australian Blue Heeler
Dog wins. Hands down. No contest. Blue, the 2001 Dog Hero of the Year winner, went head to head with an alligator that was creeping up the banks, nearing 85-year-old Ruth Gay, Blue’s owner.
The two had gone out for a walk in the backyard. Ruth fell, and she couldn’t get up. Blue sprung to action and sparred with the enormous reptile until it retreated back into the water. Blue was treated for puncture wounds, Ruth for her injuries from the fall, and both healed fine.
A Siberian Husky Named Neo
Marci Snead and her dog Neo, a striking eleven-month-old Siberian husky, were out walking in the wilderness. Marci collapsed. Because of her diabetic condition, she had gone into hypoglycemic shock and fell pretty hard. Immediately, Neo took off in search of the nearest building and was able to direct some people to his fallen owner.
An ambulance was called, and Marci completely recovered at the hospital. Hip, hip, hooray, for hero dog Neo!
Max
Max was an 11-year-old chocolate Labrador who had gotten locked in the car on a hot day. Donna Gardner, his owner, inadvertently left her dog in the car after becoming distracted and then sidetracked. She didn’t even think about the dog, until an hour later when she heard a loud ruckus. Donna Gardner had always said her dog Max was smarter than most dogs. “He’s a very smart dog and he just does things that I don’t think a normal dog does all the time,” she said.
When she found the poor animal trapped in the car near heat exhaustion, she realized that the only reason she found him was because he was smart enough to lay on the horn in the front seat until she finally came to let him out. Later, the vet said Max would be fine. Smart dog. He saved himself.
“He’s My Hero”
Ben Heinrichs’ dog Buddy had already saved his life twice before, chasing bears off while he was fishing. This time, his heroism was recognized by state troopers. Heinrichs and his dog Buddy live in a remote area of Alaska, 55 miles north of Anchorage. When a fire started in the workshop, state troopers were having trouble locating the wilderness property, tucked within 75 miles of backroads. Ben, who called for help after his clothing had caught on fire, stopped, dropped and rolled.
He then realized Buddy was still in the burning building. It was a very dangerous situation because the workshop was full of caustic substances, fueling a chemical fire. He went back in, rescued the unscathed dog and told him, “…we need to get help.” As if a trained rescue dog, Buddy took off running, found the state troopers who just lost GPS connection, and led them back to the property. The Alaskan State Troopers held a special ceremony in honor of Buddy’s valiant action. Ben Heinrichs had this to say: “He’s my hero. If it wasn’t for him, we would have lost our house.”
Rex to the Rescue
Krsto Pekic lay unconscious on his apartment floor. The 68-year-old violin maker fell into an insulin comma and his dog Rex was his only hope for help. Rex scratched at the door, barked, and created enough of a commotion that neighbors called emergency responders.
When police and firefighters arrived, they broke down the door in order to transport Pekic to the hospital. He survived only because he was taken to the hospital in time.
Dog Saves Owner Every Night
Like a canine sleep apnea machine, Boris the Bichon Frise, sleeps next to Bernadetta Henry, monitoring her sleep. Taken on as a hearing dog five years after Bernadetta’s husband died, alerting her to a kitchen fire once, Boris has been her daily hero.
Her profound deafness, caused by a blood clot many years ago, is greatly aided by Boris, but the sleep apnea condition would have killed her by now if it wasn’t for the little Bichon. Every night, as Bernadetta sleeps, Boris lays next to her, placing its paw on her chest if her breathing stops. “He means everything to me. If it wasn’t for him, I would be dead,” said Bernadetta, grandmother of four, from Wales.
Saluki Sniffs out Cancer
The striking saluki, a long-legged, graceful dog reminiscent to a greyhound, wouldn’t stop sniffing at Paula Bockman-Chato’s armpit. Paula had no idea why her pet Kaspar kept sniffing like that, until she was diagnosed with early stage lymph node cancer at a routine medical exam. She thought the dog was being affectionate. After being treated, she praises Kaspar for saving her life.
Dogs have been known to sniff out cancer. Paula’s story caught the attention of Peter Higgins, a veterinarian in her home country of Australia. Higgins, Australian National Kennel Council vet, called for having medical dogs attend surgeries. “It would not replace diagnostic tests, but it would be a good early and non-invasive way of finding if something is there.” Guide dogs, police dogs, and now, maybe, medical dogs. If only humans could be so unconditionally loving and loyal!
Buddy the German Shepherd
“Hello, this is 911 … Can you hear me?” “Woof, woof!” Buddy whimpers and barks. “Is there somebody there you can give the phone to,” asks Chris Trott, the 911 dispatcher. Buddy just barked. And barked and barked, even after the medics arrived at the Scottsdale, Arizona home.
If the shepherd could speak, he would’ve said that he dialed 911 because his owner, Joe Stalnaker, was having a seizure due to a head injury he sustained ten years ago, during a military training exercise. Trained by Paws with a Cause, an organization based in Michigan, Buddy learned to dial 9-1-1 before he was eight weeks old. Joe adopted him, and before Buddy was two, he went into action and saved his life by calling for emergency assistance.
Toby the Golden Retriever
Debbie Parkhurst, after narrowly surviving a choking incident, said, “I kept looking at [Toby] saying, ‘You’re amazing.” One day, Debbie got a chunk of apple lodged in her throat while she was eating. Unable to breathe, she attempted giving herself the Heimlich maneuver. The stubborn piece remained stuck. Debbie then began beating on her chest, hoping to dislodge the blockage. That’s when Toby got involved.
“The next thing I know, Toby’s up on his hind feet and he’s got his front paws on my shoulders,” Debbie said. “He pushed me to the ground, and once I was on my back, he began jumping up and down on my chest". That did the trick. The chunk of fruit dislodged, and Debbie could breathe again. Later she noticed paw-shaped bruises on her chest. “He left a paw print on my heart, that’s for sure,” she said, musing about how she’s lucky to be alive.
‘Scooby, Where are You?’
It was a dark and stormy August night in Kentucky, when Scooby became so frightened he busted loose out of his collar and frantically ran away. Terrified of the loud clap of thunderstorms, Scooby raced into the night streets and was struck by a car, injuring his leg and tail. Apparently getting his senses back, the dog ran four blocks, straight to the veterinarian office, to get emergency treatment. Animals usually preternaturally fear the vet, but Scooby knew it was the place to go. Amy Mullins from the vet clinic said she “… looked out the door and saw a dog walking up the parking lot,” adding, “…when I opened the door, he just ran in.”
Relieved, owner Shirley Farris said, “He obviously knew this was the place to get help.” She also said that Scooby is a very smart dog, the smartest dog she’s ever known. Shirley was somewhat unsurprised her dog found the vet’s office and, yet, somewhat dumbfounded: “How he knew to take himself to the vet, how he knew that office, I don’t know.”