AP Photo: John Minchillo; AP Photo: Anton Lim for UC Davis; AP Photo: Julie Fletcher for Orlando Sentinel; Via Facebook: http://aka.ms/Fp8j8g

Clockwise from top left: Orlando and owner Cecil Williams; Kabang; Belle and owner Kevin Weaver; Minta and owner Jacob Owens

AP Photo: Julie Fletcher for Orlando Sentinel

Belle makes 911 call to save owner's lifeWhen 34-year-old Kevin Weaver of Orlando, Florida, had a seizure and collapsed in 2006, his Beagle named Belle came to the rescue. Using her keen sense of smell, Belle was able to detect abnormalities in her owner's blood-sugar levels. She also knew how to use a cell phone. On that day, Belle bit down and held the No. 9 on Weaver's cell phone, which contacts 911. For her heroics, Belle was the first canine to receive the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award in 2006, given to someone who uses a cell phone to save a life, prevent a crime or help in an emergency.

CBS 4 Denver

Squid helps police arrest burglary suspectGenerally, when a dog barks in the middle of the night, it's an annoyance, more than anything, to the neighborhood. But when Squid, a Weimaraner/Pointer mix, surprised his owner with an uncharacteristic late-night barking and growling session in Boulder, Colorado, in July 2014, a burglary suspect was taken down. Squid led Tina Fuller to the window, where she spied two burglars breaking into her car. Fuller called 911, and police soon apprehended a 23-year-old man who was believed to have been tied to a series of crimes.

Jaime Rowe Photography

Sage, the nation's top search-and-rescue dog of 2009Sage, a border collie who died in August 2012 at the age of 12 after a battle with cancer, had a long career as a K-9 dog. While working in Iraq, Sage had an $85,000 bounty on her because of her ability to show U.S. forces where the enemy had hidden or buried weapons. Among her notable feats were detecting the remains of one of the 9/11 terrorists at the Pentagon in 2001 and searching for missing teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005.

Via Facebook: http://aka.ms/Fp8j8g

Araminta transforms autistic boy's lifeJacob Owens, 8, of Peterborough, England, suffers from a severe form of autism, which makes it difficult for him to communicate. He rarely smiled and had no friends. Along came a Labrador named Araminta, whom the family found through the charity Support Dogs' Autism Assistance Program. Before Araminta arrived, Jacob would "become very distressed" if people wanted to talk to him, his mother, Susan, told the Daily Mail. Now, with his best buddy at his side, Jacob gladly talks to people and is far more confident. "'Minta is the best medicine," Susan said.

AP Photo: John Minchillo

Orlando aids blind owner in fall on subway tracksCecil Williams has been blind since 1995 and relies heavily on his guide dog, a black Labrador named Orlando. In December 2013, both nearly lost their lives. As they were waiting for a subway train in Manhattan, Williams began to feel faint. Orlando barked frantically to get his owner's attention, but Williams fell onto the tracks. Orlando then jumped onto the tracks and tried to bring him back up. Seconds later, a slow-moving train arrived but miraculously passed over the man and his dog without hitting them. Orlando, set to retire the following month, was allowed to remain by Williams' side after anonymous donors pitched in to keep them together.

Above: Williams pets Orlando in his hospital bed on Dec. 17, 2013, in New York.

AP Photo: Anton Lim for UC Davis

Kabang loses snout, jaw saving girls from oncoming motorcycleKabang may not be much to look at, but she has an amazing story. The black and tan mixed-breed known as an aspin grabbed international attention in 2011 when she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle to save the lives of her master's daughter and niece in Zamboanga, Philippines. Kabang's snout and jaw were sheared off in the accident, and she endured eight months of medical treatment in the United States to get back on her paws. Thanks to $27,000 in donations, Kabang not only had her facial wound sewn up, she also was treated for heartworm and cancer, was spayed and vaccinated, and had an identity chip implanted in her shoulder. She returned to a hero's welcome in Zamboanga in June 2013.

Above: In this August, 12, 2012, file photo provided by the University of California, Davis, a Bunggal family member plays with Kabang in the Philippines.

AP Photo: Tina Burch for Los Angeles Daily News

Shannon alerts owner to her husband's perilTed Mandry was unloading debris at his 80-acre farm in Washington, Missouri, in 2004 when a parked tractor popped out of gear and toppled into a 10-foot gully, causing the front-end loader to trap his right leg. Meanwhile, Mandry's wife, Peggy, had stepped out and the family dog, a border collie-golden retriever mix named Shannon, was locked in the house. When Peggy returned, Shannon was howling and scratching at the door to be let out. Once free, Shannon bolted and led Peggy to the spot where Ted lay injured. A rescue team spent an hour freeing Ted's leg, which later was amputated above the knee. For her efforts, Shannon won the National Hero Dog Award.

Above: Shannon is photographed in May 2005 after she was presented with the National Hero Dog award in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Splash News

Trakr locates the last survivor of the World Trade Center attacksFor a German shepherd named Trakr, his toughest job came after retirement. After serving as a K-9 dog for the Halifax, Nova Scotia, police department, Trakr and his owner, James Symington (pictured above), were among the first search-and-rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero following the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. A little more than 24 hours after the towers collapsed, Trakr led firefighters to a spot where Genelle Guzman lay under a pile of unstable rubble. She was the last survivor of the attacks. Years later, Trakr's DNA and surrogate dams were used to clone five puppies named Trustt, Solace, Valor, Prodigy and Déjà Vu.

AP Photo: Adelma Gregory-Bunnell for Cecil Whig

Toby saves owner with modified HeimlichToby the golden retriever apparently is a fast learner. In March 2007, Toby's owner, Debbie Parkhurst of Calvert, Maryland, began choking on an apple. After unsuccessfully trying to dislodge the piece of fruit by performing the Heimlich maneuver on herself, Parkhurst resorted to pounding her fist on her chest. When that didn't work, Toby put his front paws on Parkhurst's shoulders, pushed her to the ground and began jumping up and down on her chest, finally dislodging the apple. "The doctor said I probably wouldn't be here without Toby," Parkhurst told The Associated Press.

AP Photo: Jose Monsalve, Diario El Austral de La Araucaria

Amanda saves her puppies from a fire in ChileMothers are often fiercely protective of their children. Such was the case after a car bomb triggered a house fire in Santa Rosa de Temuco, Chile, in August 2012. A German shepherd mix named Amanda reportedly carried each of her 10-day-old puppies, one by one, from the burning house and placed them on a fire truck. One of the puppies died the next day from severe burns. The house's owner, Omar Torres, was hospitalized with burns.

Above: Amanda places one of her five puppies in a fire truck in Temuco, Chile, in August 2012.

American-Statesman: Ralph Berrera

Yogi saves owner's life after serious cycling accidentIn October 2010, Paul Horton, a retired mechanical engineer from Austin, Texas, took a nasty spill while riding his bicycle near his home. Unable to move, bleeding from his nose and mouth and out of earshot of anyone, Horton pleaded with his golden retriever, Yogi, to get help. Reluctant to leave his buddy, Yogi finally ran back to the main road and got the neighbors' attention. Doctors determined that Horton had been paralyzed from the chest down, but Yogi's efforts likely saved his life. Seven months later, Yogi was honored as the 2011 Valor Dog of the Year.

Caters News

Jade discovers abandoned newborn in a parkIn October 2013, 68-year-old Roger Wilday was walking his German shepherd Jade through a park in Birmingham, England. Jade was off the leash and made her way to some bushes, where she patiently remained until Wilday joined her. Wilday was astonished to find a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket, inside a shopping bag, with the umbilical cord still attached. As the baby girl recovered in a local hospital, staff named her "Baby Jade" after her canine rescuer.

Getty Images: Carlos Osorio for Toronto Star

Georgie saves Chihuahua from coyoteBy simply "doing what he was bred to do," Georgie, a 4-year-old border collie, saved a 9-month old Chihuahua from certain death in Toronto in March 2014. When Willow, the 4-and-a-half-pound Chihuahua, found herself snout-to-snout with two coyotes, Georgie bounded out of the woods and chased off the attackers. The diversion allowed Willow's owner, Carolyn Falle, enough time to scoop up her pet. As for Georgie, his owner, Andrew McCausland, told the Toronto Star that he did what any border collie would do: "Protect the livestock."

AP Photo: Kathy Willens

Stray dogs save U.S. soldiers from suicide bomber in AfghanistanIn 2009, three stray dogs wandered onto a U.S. military compound in Afghanistan. Little did the soldiers in the 48th Infantry Brigade realize how important their budding friendship would become. On a February night in 2010, a suicide bomber sneaked onto the compound. Before he could reach the barracks full of more than 50 American soldiers, Sasha, Target and Rufus fought him off. The bombs' blast outside the door gravely injured Sasha, who had to be euthanized, and seriously injured the other two. However, no soldiers were hit. With the help of animal rescue groups, Target and Rufus were adopted by two of the soldiers saved that night, Sgt. Terry Young and Sgt. Chris Duke.

Above: Handler Lisa Seaman comforts Rufus as he poses for a photograph before being honored at The Animal Medical Center's Top Dog Gala at the Museum of Natural History in New York in 2010.

Caters News

Kyrachaan helps 3-year-old girl survive 11 days in forestOn July 29, 2014, 3-year-old Karina Chiktova went missing in a remote bear- and wolf-infested forest in Siberia. Even in the summer, temperatures drop to near freezing in the region. However, Chiktova was not alone during the ordeal. Her puppy Kyrachaan (which means "little one") reportedly stayed with her for nine days before returning to the girl's home in the village Omon to summon help. Two days later, rescuers followed Kyrachaan back into the wilderness, discovered bare footprints in the dirt and found Karina hiding in tall grass. She was malnourished and had several mosquito bites and scratches on her feet but escaped serious injury.

Getty Images: Michael Buckner

Katrina prevents man from drowning during Hurricane KatrinaWhen this black Labrador spotted a man struggling in the rising floodwaters afterHurricane Katrina struck in 2005, she swam over and pulled him to higher ground. The story was reported on CBS TV affiliate KCAL in Los Angeles, with the unidentified man crediting the dog with saving his life. After its report, KCAL sent a team to New Orleans to rescue the dog, later aptly named Katrina. In March 2006, Katrina received a standing ovation at the 20th annual Genesis Awards, given by the Humane Society of the United States to those who help advance the cause of animal rights.

Above: Katrina onstage at the 20th Anniversary Genesis Awards Show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in March 2006 in Los Angeles.

Martha Rodriguez

Psycho takes rattlesnake bite to save girlsThis dog's name is likely more a sign of his fearlessness than his cute-and-cuddly appearance. One day in August 2013 in Hueco Tanks, Texas, a young girl in her preteens, Maya Delarosa, was making mud pies with her sister when they encountered a rattlesnake only inches away. Psycho, the family's 10-pound Chihuahua-poodle mix, stepped between the girls and the snake and was bitten in his left eye. Psycho was blinded from the venom and had to have the eye removed, but the girls were unharmed.

Roselle guides his owner out of collapsing World Trade Center buildingMichael Hingson was district sales manager for Quantum ATL working on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Blind since birth, Hingson had his faithful guide dog, Roselle, sleeping peacefully under his desk — just like any other day in his office. But then came "an incredible bang" when the first plane hit the building, Hingson told Larry King in a CNN interview. Roselle, who had been trained at the prestigious Guide Dogs for the Blind school, along with Quantum ATL employee David Frank guided Hingson down 78 flights of stairs and to safety outside the building.

Above: Hingson gets a lick from Roselle before the start of the "Tribute to War Heroes ... at Both Ends of the Leash" event held by the American Humane Society in Washington, D.C. in 2011.

CQ Roll Call: Bill Clark

WSOC

Ashepoo watches over 2-year-old boy lost in woodsWhen 2-year-old Peyton Myrick went missing in the York County, South Carolina, woods in November 2012, a search party involving a helicopter, police dogs and several people ensued. Luckily, the family's dog, a black-and-white purebred Australian shepherd named Ashepoo was at Peyton's side the whole time. After more than four hours, Ashepoo emerged from the woods and led rescuers to where Peyton lay asleep behind a barn, a quarter-mile from his grandparents' home.

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