Category: Heroic & Inspiring

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On His First Walk After A Major Surgery, Retired K9 Dog Locates And Rescues Missing Man

Retirement didn’t stop a retired police dog after it located and rescued a missing person in East Sussex, England on his first ever walk since having major surgery.

The German Shepherd, named Bear, reportedly found the man in the forest on November 28 while being walked by owner, Julia Pope, a former police officer, The Guardian reveals.

What made the rescue special was that Bear, who was on his first ever walk two weeks after getting surgery to remove two benign tumors, was also celebrating his 12th birthday on the same day!

But such celebration did not stop Bear from locating and alerting his owner to a man in “dense undergrowth” while on their walk.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a national charity that supports serving and retired police dogs across the UK, reveals on a Facebook post, “Unbeknownst to RPD Bear, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without success.”

Pope tells The Guardian that Bear immediately “went into work mode” after it sensed the lost individual.

Recalling the incident, Pope explains, “[He] then dragged us to it, where he located and alerted us to a vulnerable man. I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity.”

The dog owner adds that Bear lead the way and helped the man back to an area where he could coordinate with local officers and reunite with his loved ones.

Pope describes the whole encounter as an “amazing stroke of luck”.

“RPD Bear, you’re a true hero, showing us that even in retirement, you can still save lives,” the Thin Blue Paw Foundation wrote.

Bear served with Sussex Police Dog Unit for seven years and was adopted by Pope in 2020 after his retirement.

In 2023, the retired police dog had to get emergency surgery due to having four herniated discs in his back, which caused him collapse. For this, he was supported by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.

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Colorado Community Steps Up And Replaces Senior Dog’s Stolen Wheelchair

A Colorado woman is thankful for her community after they came together to replace her senior dog’s stolen wheelchair.

In an interview with CBS News on November 18, Megan Caligiuri of Englewood reveals how her senior’s dog wheelchair got stolen and how her community responded to the theft.

Caligiuri said that she has owned a rescued Schnauzer mix, named Griff, for almost 15 years. According to her, she and her dog have always been active – they travel the country and go on 10-mile hikes.

Naturally, as Griff got older, the trips became shorter.

And while Griff is a little bit energetic for his age, he can no longer walk without assistance.

So, in order to still be able to take Griff on adventures (no matter how short they are), Caligiuri bought him a dog wheelchair that helps with the pooch’s weakened hind legs.

The wheelchair was a game changer for Griff, Caligiuri said. “Someone saw him trucking around in the snow and was like, ‘He’s such an inspiration!”

However, on the night of November 18, someone sadly stole the senior pooch’s wheels.

Caligiuri explained, “I take them off after every walk. I leave them outside because they’re dirty. He rolls around through stuff.”

“The next morning, he’s pretty jazzed for his next walk. I go outside and they’re gone. I have no faith left in humanity that someone would steal a disabled dog’s wheelchair,” Caligiuri said.

After the robbery, Caligiuri filed a police report and posted about it on the neighborhood social app, Nextdoor, hoping someone can help her find her dog’s missing wheels.

Even though they’re small, dog wheelchairs are not affordable. So, Caligiuri wanted to get back her dog’s wheels.

However, what Caligiuri didn’t expect was the reaction from her community when they saw her post.

“Over 80 people responded, offering donations, resources, and support,” Caligiuri reveals after saying that it was heartwarming to see that much compassion.

She also reveals, “Someone said they saw a guy on a bike, with what looked like the wheels, serving as a trailer.”

Now, the news of Griff’s stolen wheelchair has spread across the community.

And that’s how Kathryn Groenewold with Paw Prosper, the parent company of Walkin’ Pets, found out.

Walkin’ Pets is a company that offers wheelchairs and support products to improve pet mobility. And Groenewold said the story of Griff’s stolen wheelchair left her team heartbroken.

So, Groenewold and her team got to work and hand-delivered Griff’s brand new wheels on Thursday, November 21.

“Our team works very hard to make sure that each chair is perfectly fitting for the dog,” said Groenewold.

“We hope that Griff and Megan are going to be able to enjoy more good days together as a result.”

Now, Caligiuri and Griff can continue on with their adventures and enjoy their walks thanks to the kindness of their community.

Caligiuri tells CBS News, “I feel so overwhelmed by the kindness of people. This is how he gets around and how he enjoys life and experiences life.”

“My faith in humanity has been restored. Thank you, everyone, so much.”

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Friendly Dog Guides British Hiker To Safety While 15,000ft Up In The Peruvian Mountains

Kindness is all around us –and for some reason, in the most unexpected situations, a dog is mostly, always, involved.

And in an unexpectedly difficult moment, a British hiker’s story is proving, yet again, that dogs truly offer kindness and hope, no matter the situation.

A British hiker who was on his own 15,000ft up in the snowy Peruvian Mountains met a friendly dog who ‘appeared from the fog’ and safely guided him to his destination.

The Daily Mail reveals that the man was hiking the Santa Cruz circuit, near the city of Huaraz in Peru, when he got separated from the group of hikers he was with on the second day of the trek.

He wanted to reach the Punta Unión pass at 15,000ft above sea level, but the route was covered in snow, ice and a thick layer of fog.

On October 15, the man, known as ‘El Güero Inglés‘ on social media, shared his wonderful experience from way back October of 2022.

In the video, the man wrote, “I was on a hike in the Peruvian Mountains when suddenly… a dog appeared at 15,000ft altitude!”

He explained that when the dog appeared, he happened to be lost and all alone. “I happened to be on my own at this point, so I trusted his mountain knowledge.”

“He led me along the path, but I was too slow for him,” the man jokingly said, adding that when he finally caught up to the dog, the pooch was quietly admiring the view.

Upon reaching their destination, the man, along with the dog, patiently waited for the group of hikes to arrive.

And when the hikers arrived at camp, the dog continued to follow the man and remained close to them as the group continued the trek.

Furthermore, upon arriving on camp, the man joked that he has forgiven the dog for “ditching” him at the top of the mountain saying, “we’re just happy to have made it.”

According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the man was wondering what a dog could be doing so high up in the mountains, and in such conditions.

The man was pleasantly surprised how the friendly dog knew the ins and outs of the mountain, eventually leading him to a sign pointing towards the Punta Unión pass.

Furthermore, the man revealed that two additional dogs joined them in their hike, that lasted 13 and a half more miles.

The man later explained, “I was told by my guide that the dog lives in the village where we finished and enjoys joining hikers – maybe because he knows he’ll get free food, maybe because he likes hiking.”

Furthermore, the man cleared up the following misunderstandings: he was not lost, they took care of the dogs while they were with them during the hike, he will not adopt the dog as it has an owner.