Number 13 Buddy the Cat
Rick and Jennifer Chap’s idea of adopting Buddy, a stray cat from their Orlando neighborhood,
would prove to be a life-saving one. In 2012, Jennifer was working in her home office, when
Buddy came in meowing, jumping and scratching. The woman remembered the cat desperately trying
to get her attention. She picked Buddy up and went in the kitchen where she found her husband
keeled over the counter. Rick went into cardiac arrest and, even though she wasn’t CPR certified,
Jennifer kept him alive while talking on the phone with the emergency services.
Paramedics arrived to the scene and stabilized Rick. After a heart procedure and six months of
cardiac rehab, Rick was thankful to be alive not only to his wife but also to his heroic Buddy.
Number 12 Khan
In October of 2007, Charlotte Svillicic was playing in the front yard of her home
in Queensland, Australia. Suddenly, Khan, the family’s Doberman pinscher, started snarling at
the 17-month-old. The girl’s mother feared that the dog was going to attack her. In fact, the
animal had spotted an imminent danger slithering under the house. It was a king brown snake, one of
nature’s most venomous serpents. Khan had tried to nudge Charlotte away but she wouldn’t move.
The brave dog then picked up the baby by the diaper and threw her behind him.
Khan had thus positioned himself between Charlotte and the snake. The move startled the serpent,
which lunged and bit the dog. Fortunately, the pet recovered after he was given anti venom.
Number 11 Rabbit In the summer of 2008, in Melbourne,
a bunny survived about 45 minutes of heat and smoke inhalation before warning his owners of
a house fire. In the early hours of the morning, the black bunny, named Rabbit,
started furiously scratching at his owner’s bedroom door. The man woke up to find that the
flames had blackened the walls of the house and partially destroyed the roof. If not for Rabbit,
his family would’ve likely died in the blaze. Before the fire brigade arrived to the scene,
neighbors used their hoses to try and save the house. While their home was
severely affected by the fire, the bunny and his family survived largely unscathed.
Number 10 Blake Glenn Schallman is considered to be the oldest to
live with a combination of rare brain conditions. Aside from having a brain tumor, the man suffered
from unilateral polymicrogyria and unilateral schizenchephaly. In addition to a plethora of
other symptoms, these conditions caused him to experience frequent, potentially deadly, seizures.
When Glenn adopted his cat, Blake, he not only had a loving pet but also a life-saving nurse.
Without any proper training, Blake saw his owner having a seizure in his sleep, one day,
and started biting his toes to wake him up. The cat had saved the man’s life but his therapeutic
interventions continued. In one incident, Schallman’s arm started shaking as he was watching
TV and he was about to have a seizure. Then Blake jumped into his lap, started purring and stroked
his arm. It wasn’t long before word spread about how effective Blake was at caring for his owner.
In 2016, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gave Blake the Humane Award.
Number 9 Angel
In 2010, a golden retriever named Angel lived up to her name when she protected her owner from a
raging cougar. 11-year-old Austin Forman was charged by the feline in the backyard of his
family’s home, in British Columbia, as he was gathering firewood. Angel sprang into action and
got between the cougar and the boy. In the ensuing battle, the feline clamped its powerful jaws
on the dog’s head. Austin ran inside the house and told his mother about the attack. Fortunately,
a local police officer arrived in time to shoot the beast. After the cougar was pulled off Angel’s
body, the dog took a big breath of air then immediately went to check on Austin. She’d
sustained some severe injuries to her face and neck, but ultimately recovered and was rewarded
with a giant steak. It seems that Angel had felt a threat was present all day. In the time leading up
to the attack, she never left Austin’s side. Number 8 Winnie
The entire Keeling family would’ve succumbed to a gas leak if not for the actions of their
14-year-old cat, Winnie. The leak came from a faulty gas-powered water pump. As carbon monoxide
spread throughout the house, Winnie started meowing at Cathy Keeling in a manner she never
heard before. The woman would later claim that it sounded like the cat’s “crazy meow” sounded more
like screaming. Cathy was already nauseated by the fumes while her husband and son were unconscious.
The woman managed to call the authorities in time and, in the end, no one was seriously harmed.
Number 7 Pickle To save her owner, a heroic
5-pound toy poodle stood against a 200-pound bear. The beast had entered Tiffany Merrill’s
home in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The animal reportedly showed no fear of humans and tried to
attack the woman as she took refuge behind her couch. Merrill thought her life was over
but then Pickle, the family’s poodle, started barking at the bear and even managed to chase
the massive animal outside. A battle ensued, but the small dog was no match for the apex predator.
By the time Merrill’s son managed to get the pet away from the bear, Pickle had already sustained
severe injuries. Merrill had hurt her back and sustained a sprained ankle but survived the ordeal
thanks to her pet’s brave sacrifice. Number 6 Matilda
Because of the difference in density it’s rather hard to actually drown in quick-sand. In most
cases, the victim will only sink about waist-deep. Still, the viscous substance can trap a person
long enough for them to die of exposure or drown in the incoming tide. In 2009, Christine Smith was
walking her dog, Matilda, on a beach in Cumbria, England. The site was notorious for its dangerous,
low-tide spots of quicksand. At one point during their day out, Smith was walking near a stream
when she started to sink. Her boots got filled with sand and water that quickly turned solid.
Smith soon realized she was trapped, with no help in sight…or so she thought. Matilda, who would
usually approach her owner jumping around, felt Smith was in trouble. The pet stood next to her,
unflinchingly, and allowed the woman to use her back as an anchoring point.
It was an exhausting process but Smith ultimately managed to free herself.
Number 5 Louie In February of 2020, a pet parrot saved a
Tennessee family from a raging house fire. Barbara Klein, her husband and their granddaughter were
all asleep when the blaze started in the kitchen. They woke up hearing Louie, the parrot, yelling
“fire”. Perhaps the most incredible aspect is that their pet had reportedly never said the word
before. By the time the Klein family woke up, the blaze had extended to the living room. They barely
escaped the house, which was subsequently lost in the fire, along with Louie and their pet dogs.
Number 4 Todd In 2018, Arizona woman Paula Godwin
was hiking with her golden retriever puppy, Todd. At some point during their walk, Todd quickly ran
past his owner’s leg. He then started yelping and crying. Godwin would discover that the puppy had
intentionally ran towards a rattlesnake just as she was about to step on it. Living in Arizona,
Godwin was vigilant of her surroundings when it came to rattlesnakes. However,
this particular serpent had given off no warning. Todd had spotted it and, to save his owner,
sustained a venomous bite which left the right side of his face horribly swollen. Godwin picked
up her pet and rushed him to the hospital. Todd got the necessary treatment and recovered. When
Godwin shared the story on Facebook, there was an outpouring of support for the wounded puppy.
Number 3 Dory
If not for Dory, his 20-pound giant rabbit, Simon Steggall would’ve likely died only a few
feet from his wife. Steggal, a diabetic, became unconscious while watching TV.
His wife simply thought that he’d fallen asleep. It was Dory’s erratic behavior that told her
something was wrong. The rabbit wasn’t allowed on the furniture but, nevertheless, jumped on
Steggall and started tapping on his chest. It was then that Steggall’s wife took a second look
and realized he was in trouble. The woman called the emergency services and the paramedics quickly
arrived to their home in Cambridgeshire, England. 42-year-old Steggall recovered and
Dory reportedly got a well-deserved treat. Today's topic was requested by shohannie.
If you have any other topics you'd like to learn about, subscribe & let us know in the
comments section below Number 2 D-Boy
An Oklahoma City family was saved by their pet pit bull from what could’ve been a deadly
home invasion. Three months prior, the Trawick family had rescued D-Boy from an abusive home.
In December of 2008, as they were sitting on the living room couch, an armed man broke
into their house and ordered them to get on the ground. D-Boy heard the commotion and charged
the intruder from an adjoining room. Even though the pit bull was shot in the head twice, he kept
pursuing his target. The intruder fled and D-boy was subsequently taken to a veterinary hospital.
The doctors successfully removed the bullets and credited the pit bull’s survival to his hard head.
Number 1 Vader
While out sailing with his two young sons, Phillip Mulligan stopped on an island off Massachusetts.
As he noticed their boat starting to drift from the shore, Mulligan got in the water and tried
to retrieve it. The man, who wasn’t wearing a life vest, suddenly got caught in the current.
He tried to make it back to shore but started cramping up with a few dozen yards to go.
He feared that he might drown, leaving his sons stranded on the island. Even though the
boys were distraught, they reacted quickly. They told their 2-year-old black Labrador,
Vader, that he should “Go save daddy!” While wearing a life-vest, the dog swiftly
swam directly towards his owner. As he reached Mulligan, Vader turned around so that he could
grab the vest’s handle. Vader then took him to shore without hesitating or slowing down.
Thanks for watching! Could any of your current or past pets save you in a life or death situation?
Let us know in the comments section below!