Many people are fascinated by dogs – their abilities, instincts and innate common sense. We read books about animals, watch movies and even play cash slots with dog themes. But sometimes, you hear about a dog who seems to defy everything that is expected.
Check out some information about some amazing dogs.
Sissy the Schnauzer
When Nancy Franck of Cedar Rapids Iowa was hospitalized for cancer treatment, her schnauzer Sissy escaped her house and walked 20 blocks to pay her mistress a visit. Sissy got to the hospital OK but was stumped when she had to enter an elevator to find the right floor.
A security guard at the hospital spotted Sissy and she then called the number on Sissy’s tag and spoke to Nancy’s husband Dale who was relieved to hear that she had been found. Sissy was then allowed to be taken upstairs to visit Nancy.
The family still isn’t sure how Sissy knew to walk to the hospital, or even that Nancy was in the hospital – she had been in the car a few times when Dale picked Nancy up at the hospital which is the only idea that makes any sense. But, said Dale, “we’ve never walked that route before.”
Victoria the Shelter Dog
When Lauren Gauthier of Buffalo New York brought Victoria, a Treeing Walker Coonhound home from the shelter, she was pleased that she had been able to offer Victoria a new life. What Lauren didn’t realize was that it was Victoria who would be saving Lauren. Victoria snuggled up to Lauren but kept sniffing at a reddish lump near Lauren’s nose.
Gautier told InsideEdition.com that "She’d been literally putting her nose onto my nose where the cancer was. My dog’s persistence in smelling that area made me wonder if there was something suspicious about it. "She started smelling a specific are of my nose to the extent that she would actually touch her nose to mine where the cancer is and lean back and look at me and smell it again and look at me. It was very odd and she kept doing it repeatedly and I thought that that was a little bit unusual for her to do."
Victoria was a one-eyed dog, the result, the shelter had assumed, of a hunting accident. But the lack of an eye didn’t dim Victoria’s instincts nor her ability to sniff out the cancer. Lauren’s cancer cells were removed and she is now cancer-free.
Ricochet the Surfer
Ricochet was originally meant to be a service dog but her trainer, Judy Fridono, couldn’t get her to stop chasing birds. At some point it’s clear that a dog like that can’t become a helper to disabled people who will need the dog to guide them and do tasks that they can’t do. So Fridono retrained Ricochet to be a surfer dog and today Ricochet rides surf boards with people with physical impairment to help them stabilize the board and feel the freedom of the surf.
Therapists talk about the importance of independence for people with disabilities and Ricochet fulfills that role by riding the surfboard. Her job is to adjust her own stance and balance depending on the disability of the person she is surfing with. Judith has made videos of Ricochet doing her thing which have raised more than $100,000 for different charities.
Dexter and his Hind Legs
Some animals inspire because they do something amazing but others inspire because they just…..are. One of those inspirational dogs who brings hope to people all over the world is Dexter who walks around his hometown in Colorado on his two back feet. Dexter’s two front feet were amputated after he was hit by a car as a puppy but that hasn’t slowed him down at all.
No one taught him to walk upright – one day, while his owners were in the middle of surgeries to save his one remaining front limb, he just stood up and started walking. “It just shocks the heck out of us,” said his owner, Kentee Pasek. Dexter’s strolls through town draw tourists and members of the media and he has been featured in late-night comedy shows, social media and parades. He has his own channels on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Dexter’s story resonates with people all over the world as they confront their own challenges and learn to put their nose to the grindstone and overcome those difficulties. “I think Dexter teaches us that we have our ideas so set in a box about the way life should be.” says Pasek. “But in reality, we really don’t have control over it. And I think if we would stop, like, really thinking all the time about the past or if we would just stop getting anxious about the future, and we could live more in the moment, I think that’s what Dexter wants us to do.”.
Luca
Luca, a pit bull, has turned her deafness into an advantage in her work as a therapy dog. Luca was adopted as a puppy by a hearing-impaired couple. He learned to make constant eye contact in order to followed their signed commands. Now, Luca spends time with disabled and at-risk youths and his gift for paying unswerving attention to their needs and subtle signs is a valuable tool in teaching them the importance of eye contact.
Through Luca’s Facebook Page, Bruised Not Broken, he teaches empathy and compassion as he interacts with each person on his or her level.
