Dog Rescues Dog?

If you haven't watched it yet, this video shows the sickening moment of a dog getting hit and run over by several cars on a highway. Although not one single person stops to help this poor dog, another dog, who I can only assume was its traveling buddy, dashes over to the badly injured pooch and at great peril to himself, with tons of dispassionate steel hurtling by, proceeds to drag his friend to the side of the highway and out of harms way.

The bravery of this dog cannot be underestimated. We know what cars are, but to a dog, they are alien, incomprehensible and terrifying especially when they are headed right towards you. For this dog to run directly towards dozens of speeding automobiles, it took will, courage and determination. But aren't these solely human characteristics? So what exactly made this heroic dog do what he did? Aren't animals just animals?

We've heard many stories of dogs protecting children or saving a family member from some sort of danger. But how do we explain the dog's motivation to do so? And what should we make of animals that behave in extraordinary ways towards other species like the crow that adopts a baby kitten and protects and watches over her? Or the lioness who chooses to befriend a baby antelope rather than feed upon him? These animals seem to be displaying distinctively human attributes of compassion, kindness and well, humanity.

Many animals mate for life, nurture and care for their young, create bonds with other animals and people, and have as strong a desire to survive as we do. We can build bombs, cut down entire forests at will, go shopping, create mountains of garbage, sing karaoke, and run in place for hours on a treadmill but I'm not so sure that the things we do, our activities, our choices and the lives we lead are necessarily more significant or essential than an animal's. In point of fact, the animals often make contributions that equal our own. They pull carts and lead the blind, they carry us on their backs and protect us (often from each other), they warm us and worry us. We are partners on this planet.

I don't mean to dismiss or demean the amazing and beautiful things us humans have accomplished. We make art, music and poetry. We can heal the sick and cure diseases. We can explore, learn, and grow emotionally and spiritually. But we have to admit, we can be devilishly destructive too. For every wonderful thing we do, we often do an equally terrible thing. Out of fear, out of greed, out of jealousy. And we all pay the price. The animals are often unwilling participants in our human drama, but just because we can lord it over the animal kingdom doesn't mean we should.

So the next time we think, so what? It's just a dog. Please remember the scruffy little hero in this video, risking life and limb because he cared about his friend. What other explanation is there for what we can witness with our own eyes? Is it possible to honor, respect and appreciate the lives of animals like we do (or should) our own?

Someone in the comments section where this poignant video was first posted (on HuffPost) quoted Byron's musings of his own dog. I think it is apropos for most of the magnificent creatures whom we share this planet with!

"Beauty without vanity, strength without violence, courage without ferocity, and all the virtues of man without his vices."

Comments

[DesertWinds]

You obviously do not live with dogs! I love mine to distraction, but I am not blind to their nature. I embrace it fully it all its wonderfulness. Dogs can be jealous and petty, along with loving and warm. I have watched my hounds sneak in and “steal” the bone or toy another was enjoying with no guilt at all. I have also had one of my defend another against a Pit Bull – she was fearless and brave. As Humans have laws, there is most definitely a hierarchy and laws in the pack – and it is strictly enforced, harmony reins unless one bucks the system. However, it is their way, not ours.

Humans must stop transferring human emotions and traits onto Dogs. It is stupid. Dogs are wonderful as they are – our Soul Cousins. Humans and Dogs have a shared history for thousands of years, it is beautiful and it works. It is wrong for PETA and HSUS to want to sever this partnership. Dogs do not need to “own themselves” to be full filled and happy – those are human requirements.

[marthastewartrules]

I hear your point, but FYI, no animals mate for life. "Monogamous" birds, the species we hear the most romance about, may set up home for life (or until the other dies), but on average a third of their kids are from affairs. The only truly monogamous species is a type of deep sea anglerfish that literally grafts itself to the female until it dies (which doesn't take long). And I guess you could count insects whose penises snap off in the insect chick's womb to prevent her from being fertilized by others. They'll never bone again.

[eminent]

sorry, couldn't bring myself to watch the video but reading comments made me feel better.

[whit4brains]

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in y our face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

[GingerB]

That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.

[WICKET99]

Beautiful and so true of our fluffy friends.

[wagadog]

Red dog and yellow dog.

Our elderly neighbor Billy had two dogs, one red, one yellow. They were both his wife's and she passed on some time ago. They had a big run outside, and houses, but are not "inside dogs" and did not have a great deal of human contact or care outside of regular feeding. They were both scruffy and had a bit of mange, but various neighbors would stop and pet them through the fence and take them out on occasion for a groom and a flea dip. One day, red dog got a bad infection, and though she went to the vet, she went into a coma and died. Yellow dog howled pitifully every morning and evening for her. Yellow dog still pines for red dog. Now Billy is in the hospital, and neighbors, relatives still care for poor yellow dog in her run. But she is so lonely and depressed. Crows come and peck in the yard, and she doesn't even get up to chase them away any more. What can we do? We pet her, but her people are gone, and her best friend his gone. She is so sad. We talk to each other while petting her. A little uneasy. None of us are getting any younger.

[QueenCeleste]

This breaks my heart. Could you, or any other neighbors adopt Yellow Dog? How lovely if she could spend her last years (days?) with a loving family INSIDE their home in comfort. Maybe a family with another dog that she could keep company with? Perhaps that would be a relief to Billy, as care of a dog must be increasing difficult for him.

[petsaretalking]

wagadog-
Where are you? Let's see what we can do to help yellow dog out. I have friends all over the country. Some may be in your area. We could possibly get yellow dog fostered and re-homed.
At the very least, I'd be happy to intuitively talk with yellow dog and help her mourn the loss of her friend. My email address is petsaretalking.comking.com . Feel free to send me an email and let's see what we can do to help her.
Best-
Bridget

[QueenCeleste]

Lovely post Cheri, really beautifully stated. I pray that both dogs are okay and will get good homes together.

[kellygrrrl]

I had a really hard time watching that video the first time. But it was a great reminder of how amazing dogs are.
I have two Golden Retrievers and can honestly say I believe they would put their life on the line to save any family member or friend.
I'm certain my male would do anything to save any child

[Beaglelovers]

I believe the picture might be of the famous Japanese dog, Hachiko, a dog who remained loyal to his owner long after the man's death. As American animal lovers living in Japan, however, we are very sorry to report that the animal control authorities here "euthanize" hundreds of thousands of homeless pets every year (90% of them are puppies and kittens) in gas chambers, where they suffer a slow, painful and terrifying death...a veritable "Auswitz for animals" in the words of one leading animal rescuer. Please think about this the next time you are planning to buy a Japanese car or electronic device...o­r better yet, please write a letter to the Japanese Ambassador and ask him to stop this horrifying practice.
H.E. Ichiro Fujisaki
c/o: Embassy of Japan
2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
(Sorry, their web site doesn't show any e-mail addresses.­)

[mlaiuppa]

I believe the (replacement) statue of Hachiko is IN the trainstation in Japan. Now sure who the dog is in this statue. There are so many hero dogs. Looks like it *could* be Balto.

[nsheorey]

Yep, it's Balto. This is the statue in honor of him in Central Park, New York City.

[dlo2]

That is a sweet article...­I loved it. Someone once pointed out to me that dog is God spelled backwards.­.So many amazing souls in dog bodies!

[enveg01]

Thank you so much for this insightful piece. Animals truly have the best of what makes us human. They are our kin and we should treat them with respect, dignity, and above all, compassion.

[IndyReader]

This incident is like a real life "Plague Dogs", without the fear of plague.

[ConfuciusSay-]

Thank you for a fine article.

[hjmadnick]

where did this happen, and when? I hadn't heard about this elsewhere, and the article didn't specify. thnx!

[Cheri Shankar - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm not sure when the video was shot, but the incident happened in Santiago, Chile. There are thousands and thousand of strays in Chile and tragically many get hit by cars every year. There are groups worldwide that try to help homeless companion animals and it is important to support SPCA's in this country and elsewhere if we can.

[Beaglelovers]

It's a great idea to give a donation to an animal shelter this holiday season as animals get less than 1% of the charity dollar. Be careful, however, that you give to a no-kill shelter. Unfortunately, many ASPCAs and the Humane Society remain high kill facilities. Many local shelters, who especially need your money in these difficult economic times, have adopted the newer philosophy of no-kill, but rather adoption, fostering and rehoming of homeless pets. The biggest no-kill shelter in the country is Best Friends in Utah. They took many of M. Vick's pit bulls, even though PETA wanted to put them down. They are currently being retrained so they will be suitable for adoption.

[furbabies]

12.9.08 - just watched this amazing video. Can you tell me if both dogs are okay and if they have homes? ABC reported the death of the dog that got hit. Thank you.

[peacekitten]

this incident actually took place in chile on march 23 of this year. chilean authorities have been searching for the heroic dog ever since,but recently announced their hopes of finding him are fading, and they are discontinuing their search. his injured companion unfortunately did not survive. the film came from a surveillance tape of the highway.

the world society for the protection of animals, wspa, is a wonderful organization to support and they are quite active in south america with helping homeless animals.

thank you so much for writing this post. i don't know what i would do without my beautiful animals, and i think those bumper stickers that say lord, help me to be half the person my dog/cat thinks i am are right on the mark! they are such gifts!

[NoSillyName]

Amazing. So happy the hero didn't get hit too.

[SusieQ]

What happened to the dog that was hit?

[mlaiuppa]

There is a comment on the other post saying the news reported that both dogs survived and were doing fine. I've been unable to find anything on the internet to confirm that, but I choose to believe it. A road crew did arrive to take the two dogs off the freeway. I hope the little hero gets a loving forever home as a reward for his loyalty and bravery.

[Norak]

Who took the video?

[Cheri Shankar - Huffpost Blogger]

I read in the comments of the original post of the video that both dogs are okay, but I want to try and confirm that independently. Check back and hopefully I'll have a definitive answer soon! Many, many people want to know whether or not both of these dear dogs survived!