These Incredibly Heroic Dogs Saved Their Owner's Lives

Layka is a military dog who has worked tirelessly to protect not only her handler but also fight for the country's freedom. While she was on duty, her handler was attacked, and Layka was shot four times. Despite being wounded, Layka knew she had to protect her partner. Layka managed to subdue the insurgent who was attacking her handler. She saved him and other members of the team while selflessly risking her life. After seven hours in surgery, Layka survived, but she lost a leg in the process. For her heroic act, she was awarded a special medal, and the man she saved adopted her. 

When Geo was just eight months old, he was a playful and happy puppy. He enjoyed playing with his owner Charlie, and the two were the best of pals. One night, the family was walking Geo along the side of a road when the accident took place. As the family was walking an out of control truck headed straight for Charlie. Without a second to lose, Geo pushed Charlie out of the way and was hit by the truck. He saved his owner's life but suffered from a broken leg, fractured spine, and several bruises. Luckily, Geo is doing just fine after five hours of surgery and lots of love from his family. They are thankful that both Charlie and Geo are safe. 

Kelsey is a five-year-old golden retriever who is beyond loyal to her owner. On New Year's eve 2016, Kelsey's owner walked out of his farmhouse to get some more firewood. It was snowy and icy outside, and he fell. Kelsey jumped into action to help him the best she could. Kelsey's owner broke his neck, and he was stuck in the freezing snow. Kelsey lay down on her owner to keep him warm as the temperature continued to drop. The nearest neighbor was a half-mile away, and she continued to bark for help while keeping him warm. The neighbors finally heard her howls for help and called an ambulance. 

You might be wondering why this dog is wearing a cape, and that is because she is a hero. Abbie is very protective of her baby brother Benjamin who has acid reflux. He often spits up, and Abbie is always there to comfort him. One day, Benjamin's mom put him in the swing to nap. While his mom though Benjamin was fast asleep, she noticed Abbie jumping around by the swing. At first, she brushed it off, thinking the dog had to go out, but then Abbie started to bark. His mom rushed River to find Benjamin choking on his spit-up. Abbie now gets lots of treats for saving her little brother. 

In February 2018, there was a terrible earthquake in Mexico that hit a magnitude of 7.1. The earthquake caused buildings to collapse, and 230 people were killed. That is where Frida came in to help. She is a special search and rescue dog that helped the Mexican Navy to search for people in the rubble. With her custom protective goggle and booties, Frida was able to help save over 52 lives. She has helped out in many natural disasters to find those who were stuck or missing. She is such a helpful girl who has continued to help save lives. 

Pitbulls get a bad rap, and they are often put down because no one wants to adopt them. Christi Smith heard about a pit bull who was about to be euthanized and decided to adopt him. Tatertot is a sweet dog who just wanted a family to love, and he finally got that. The Smith family never knew how important he would be in their lives. A week after Tatertot came home, Christi put her son to bed, and he came down twice for water. She thought he was just tried, but Tatertot sensed that something was wrong. He started barking and running back and forth between Christi and her son's room. Finally, Christi followed the dog and found her son unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where they found out that his blood sugar was extremely low. Tatertot saved him, and the family knew he was the perfect match. 

Figo is a service dog who has been trained to guide his owner Audrey Stone because she is blind. While the two were walking one day, Figo saw a school bus headed straight for Audrey, so he threw himself in front of her to protect her from getting injured. Figo took most of the blow instead of his owner. Audrey suffered from a fractured right elbow, three broken ribs, a fractured ankle and a cut to her head in the accident. Figo had a huge gash down his leg,. but he refused to leave her side even after the EMTs arrived. He was taken to the vet while his owner went to the hospital, and they both made a full recovery. 

This is Bretagne who helped the search and rescue team during the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City. Out of the 10,000 emergency workers who risked their lives to save others on that horrible day, 300 of them were dogs. At the time of the attacks, Bretagne was only two-years-old. When she was eight weeks old, Bretagne started training to do search and rescue. Like many other dogs, she helped find remains for those who perished in the Twin Towers. Bretagne has also helped in Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Ivan. She was one of the last surviving dogs from 9/11, and she passed away after 17 years of helping to save others. 

Katy Mae is a sweet loving German Shephard who loves her owner Jerry Flanigan more than anything in the world. One day, two pit bulls in the neighborhood started attacking Jerry while he was out for a walk. Katy Mae saw her owner in trouble and got on top of Jerry to protect him. Katy Mae shielded Jerry from the other dogs, and she got bit on her neck. The bite was so close to her jugular; she could have died according to the vet. She stopped the attack and saved Jerry from serious injuries. Katy is an amazingly loyal dog, and she thankfully survived the incident. 

Everyone knows how intelligent dogs are, but did you know they can earn college degrees? This service dog went to every class with his owner, so the University of Illinois awarded him with an honorary master's degree. Now, this person can say her dog is smarter than the average person. Service dogs are an important part of life for those who are handicapped or differently-abled. They not only provide assistance, but they also provide emotional support and unconditional love. This woman and her service dog created a service dog organization after graduation.  

This is Max and his owner Osmar from Brazil. Many people wonder how far their dogs would go to protect them, and Osmar got his answer. While parking his truck near a field for Max, Osmar was attacked by two armed robbers. They wanted the keys to his vehicle, but Osmar refused. The robbers fired a bullet, and it grazed Osmar's forehead. When Max saw his owner in trouble, he was furious and stepped in to help. Max started to attack the thieves, and one ran away while the other robber shot Max. Both attackers got away, and Osmar rushed Max to the hospital. Max made a full recovery and saved his beloved owner.  

Like many other dogs on this list, this one used her maternal instincts to save another creature in need. In December 2008, a dog named China found a baby abandoned in a field. It was getting colder outside, so she brought the baby back to her pen to keep it warm with her puppies. China kept the baby warm throughout the night until her owner heard the cries of a baby in the morning and took it to a hospital. Supreme Master Ching Hai awarded China the Shining World Hero Award for her bravery and love. China inspired others to spread love to all creatures in need. 

Roselle is a guide dog for her owner who is blind. Michael Hingson worked on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center. On the day of the September 11 attacks, Roselle knew they were in trouble and guided Michael down the stairs through the noise, smoke, and rubble. They made it out of the building, and when they got two blocks away, Tower 2 began to collapse. Roselle guided Michael towards the subway to avoid dust and debris. She then helped him get to his friend's apartment in mid-town until the trains were running, and they could go home to New Jersey. 

Abigail is a beloved family dog who protected her owner selflessly. Abigail's owner, Margarita, was outside one night, closing up the chicken coup with Abby and the family cat. It was dark, so Margarita didn't notice the black bear approaching. Abby saw the bear right away and started chasing it and barking. Abby chased the bear away while Margarita got inside safely with the cat. Abby might seem like a goofball most of the time, but when she needed to protect her family, she went into attack mode. Abigail is a true hero, and her owner is thankful the dog was there to save her. 

Leana Beasley truly believes that dogs are man's best friend. Faith is her rottweiler, who is a service dog who is trained to call for help using the speed dial on the phone when her owner has a seizure. On one particular day, Faith was very clingy with Leana, and acting strange. Faith's sensitive nose detected a change, and she knew something terrible was about to happen. Leana had a seizure and fell out of her wheelchair. Immediately, Faith went to the phone and dialed for 9-1-1 with her nose. Leana was taken to the hospital and found out her medication was not working anymore.