Families' Most Inspiring Pet Tales
In need of your daily cuteness fix? We crowdsourced the most amazing pet tales on Redbook's Facebook page and we have to say, they're not only pretty awe-inspiring, but aww-inspiring, too. Get ready to click "share." By Kayla Miller,
REDBOOK.
Retriever to the Rescue
"Last summer, I was pet sitting for my sister's Black Lab, Millie. On our leisurely evening walk, I stepped off the curb and broke and dislocated my ankle. I actually had to crawl back into the house, and Millie immediately knew something was wrong. She lay on the floor with her chin on the injured leg's knee and rested her paws next to my ankle while we waited for the paramedics. When I started to black out, she sat up and begun licking my face and chuffing softly at me. The next evening, when I emotionally melted down. Millie crawled up to the bed, started licking my tears, and once again, the gentle, soft, reassuring chuffing began. Millie is the best 'first responder' ever!" - Alex Z.
Digging up fun
"One day, I got a call at work from a neighbor saying that when he came home for lunch to check on his dog, he found our dog, Shiloh, outside trying to dig his dog out of his pen, and the dog was on the inside trying to dig himself out. They had teamwork going on. Shiloh just wanted him to come out and play!" - Donna D.
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Unconditional love
"My Irish Setter, Creggan, is a trained therapy dog. He goes to work with me each day - I am a school counselor. Creggan's job is to provide comfort to kids and help calm students who are angry or upset. One time, a girl came into my office crying so hard she couldn't talk. She went over and sat on the floor near Creggan. He put his head in her lap while she wept. She wrapped her arms around Creggan's neck and he sat quietly. After a while, Creggan looked up and licked the girl's face several times. When he did this, she began to smile and giggle. The tears stopped, and the girl sat and petted Creggan for a few minutes. She then stood up, gave Creggan a hug, gave me a hug and walked out of my office. She felt better, and I didn't even have to say a word. The unconditional love of a dog was all she needed." - Luann E.
Guardian angles
"The day my wife passed away from Alzheimer's, I took down the gates so the hospice nurse could easily access the living room. The cats came in first, and lay under the bed. The dogs followed and lay next to the cats. I then realized that they knew all along that my wife was seriously ill, and were looking at her all the time. When she did pass, they paid their respects by lying under her bed, and they stayed there until the funeral home removed her. Their actions helped me recover from my grief." - Al W.
You've messed with the wrong pup!
"When I was little, I used to get picked on by kids walking home from the bus. That is until my grandpa found a dog - a Doberman Pinscher we named Auto - and brought him home. Every day after school, Auto would meet me at the bus stop and scare the bullies away! Then one day, a sixth grade boy (I was a kindergartner at the time) pushed me into the rose bushes and Auto bit him on the behind! From then on, I was never picked on again!" - Danielle M.
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Heaven sent
"My mother was staying with us a few years ago, and one morning at breakfast, she started leaning as if ready to faint. My husband and I laid her on the couch, at which point our Pekingese jumped up and started licking her hand. Mother had said her hand was numb. Our dog licked continuously until my mother, astonished, told us, "That dog put feeling back in my hand!" Apparently my mom had a very light stroke. After the 'dog licking,' she was just fine!" - Julene H.
Football fluke
"I've decided my dog Ricardo officially hatesfootball season. I get really into it, seriously yelling at the TV. Once, Ricardo wasn't really sure why I was so worked up, but I kept reassuring him, telling him he was a good boy and that I wasn't mad at him. After the game, I looked around to celebrate with Ricardo, who was nowhere to be found. When I looked behind me, I realized all my yelling made him nervous and he'd climbed underneath all the pillows! My only clue to his whereabouts was his little tail sticking out of a pink flowery pillow. I quickly pulled away the pillows and kissed him all over. He soon realized I wasn't angry at him, and we played the rest of the night. Needless to say, I'll be watching football elsewhere the rest of the season!" - Victoria C.
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Cancer caregiver
"My dog gives me unlimited love and comfort, but he really bonded with my sister. She was diagnosed with cancer last year, and she told me her motivation for getting out of the hospital was to get home to see my dog, Willie. Every CT scan she does, she pictures his sweet face looking up at her. He's her inspiration." - Jennifer K.
An extra set of eyes and ears
"One time, my grandma (who had pancreatic cancer and couldn't get out of bed without help) fell in her room and hit her head on the nightstand, and my mom's dog Ollie went and barked at my grandpa (who was deaf) until he got up and went in to check on her. Later on, after my grandma died, Ollie would ride on my grandpa's four-wheeler with him and, since he was also mostly blind, would duck when a pothole was close to let him know when to turn. Once when my grandpa fell off his four-wheeler and broke his hip, Ollie stayed by his side until my mom got to him. After he passed away, Ollie died less than a year later. We realized he had been heart-broken with the loss of his two companions." - Cassie G.
A self-esteem booster
"My son has schizophrenia and his brother's little pup has had a great impact on him! The dog comforts him and always seems to know when my son needs a little extra cuddle or attention. He looks after him, and I think that's just an amazing thing for a little animal to do. Just taking the dog for a walk helps him to focus and feel productive, and it reminds him that he is loved!" - Kelli R.
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