Despite our well deserved reputation as man’s best friend, I must say, dogs are not natural heroes. We have the selflessness, that’s for sure. And the empathy in spades. If my master has a tough day at the office, I’m there at the door like he just returned from Afghanistan. If he stubs his toe on the radiator I arrive like the cavalry offering a sympathetic gaze and a poor-baby snuggle that would make most people think Florence Nightingale was part canine. And we are capable of kindness, like the time I rescued a goose egg from the deep woods and presented it to my master for repatriation. We both know I could have eaten it. Where we come up a bit short is the requisite sense of danger to know just when heroism is called for. After all, we never get lost; we don’t play with matches, we don’t fight in wars. And our knowledge of automobiles extends only so far as chasing them down the street and hanging our heads out the window. It’s often not until it’s too late that we learn what engines of death they can be. Of course it’s different in the movies. Hollywood dogs, like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin perform acts of heroism the way most of the rest of us show up for dinner. But honestly, how often do our masters get stuck in abandoned silver mines and need us to run Lassie-like for help. Nowadays every 10-year-old I know has a cell phone. And since when do armed soldiers need us the way they seemed to need Rin Tin Tin weekly to save them from rattlesnake attacks. Just shoot the darn thing and be done with it. Which is not to say that dog heroism never happens. All I’m saying is it doesn’t come naturally. That’s why I’m so glad that on those occasions when we do act as bonafide heroes that we get the recognition we deserve. That was the case last week when the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society honored two of us at its second annual Humane Awards Celebration at the Wyckoff Country Club. Now normally we’re not much for country clubs, in fact many of them have a no dogs policy that make us feel particularly unwelcome and should make them feel particularly ashamed of themselves. But all was forgiven at awards night, as we shared center stage with a number of philanthropists, bankers, police officers and a trio of youngsters who witnessed a shocking case of animal abandonment and decided to help. And I am pleased to report that for the first time, Dakin presented two Animal Hero awards to exceptional dogs whose valor and extraordinary devotion to their people were nothing less than lifesaving. On June 1, 2011 as a tornado ripped through downtown Springfield, Seeger, a Fidelco guide dog, led Joe Velez safely into the bathroom as his home lost its roof, was filled with debris, and drenched in water. The next day, Seeger negotiated around the down power lines wrecked automobiles, and the remains of houses to lead Joe to safety, even when commanded to go in a different direction. “It was as if Seeger was saying, ‘Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’” Believe me, we always do. Lilly, a rescued pit bull, demonstrated her strength, intelligence, and loyalty in the face of an oncoming train when just after midnight in May she frantically pulled a woman to safety just moments before the train reached the two. So there you have it. Two dogs going far beyond the everyday orders to fetch and sit and rightfully recognized for saving the day even in the absence of rattlesnakes and abandoned silver mines. Our paws don’t naturally allow us to offer applause but that doesn’t mean we’re not proud of their achievements. So on behalf of dogs everywhere I bestow upon Lilly and Seeger the highest honor canines can confer upon their breed: “Good Dogs.” Hollywood dogs, like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin perform acts of heroism the way most of the rest of us show up for dinner
Despite our well deserved reputation as man’s best friend, I must say, dogs are not natural heroes.
We have the selflessness, that’s for sure. And the empathy in spades. If my master has a tough day at the office, I’m there at the door like he just returned from Afghanistan. If he stubs his toe on the radiator I arrive like the cavalry offering a sympathetic gaze and a poor-baby snuggle that would make most people think Florence Nightingale was part canine. And we are capable of kindness, like the time I rescued a goose egg from the deep woods and presented it to my master for repatriation. We both know I could have eaten it.
Where we come up a bit short is the requisite sense of danger to know just when heroism is called for. After all, we never get lost; we don’t play with matches, we don’t fight in wars. And our knowledge of automobiles extends only so far as chasing them down the street and hanging our heads out the window. It’s often not until it’s too late that we learn what engines of death they can be.
Of course it’s different in the movies. Hollywood dogs, like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin perform acts of heroism the way most of the rest of us show up for dinner. But honestly, how often do our masters get stuck in abandoned silver mines and need us to run Lassie-like for help. Nowadays every 10-year-old I know has a cell phone. And since when do armed soldiers need us the way they seemed to need Rin Tin Tin weekly to save them from rattlesnake attacks. Just shoot the darn thing and be done with it.
Which is not to say that dog heroism never happens. All I’m saying is it doesn’t come naturally. That’s why I’m so glad that on those occasions when we do act as bonafide heroes that we get the recognition we deserve.
That was the case last week when the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society honored two of us at its second annual Humane Awards Celebration at the Wyckoff Country Club.
Now normally we’re not much for country clubs, in fact many of them have a no dogs policy that make us feel particularly unwelcome and should make them feel particularly ashamed of themselves.
But all was forgiven at awards night, as we shared center stage with a number of philanthropists, bankers, police officers and a trio of youngsters who witnessed a shocking case of animal abandonment and decided to help.
And I am pleased to report that for the first time, Dakin presented two Animal Hero awards to exceptional dogs whose valor and extraordinary devotion to their people were nothing less than lifesaving.
On June 1, 2011 as a tornado ripped through downtown Springfield, Seeger, a Fidelco guide dog, led Joe Velez safely into the bathroom as his home lost its roof, was filled with debris, and drenched in water. The next day, Seeger negotiated around the down power lines wrecked automobiles, and the remains of houses to lead Joe to safety, even when commanded to go in a different direction.
“It was as if Seeger was saying, ‘Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’”
Believe me, we always do.
Lilly, a rescued pit bull, demonstrated her strength, intelligence, and loyalty in the face of an oncoming train when just after midnight in May she frantically pulled a woman to safety just moments before the train reached the two.
So there you have it. Two dogs going far beyond the everyday orders to fetch and sit and rightfully recognized for saving the day even in the absence of rattlesnakes and abandoned silver mines. Our paws don’t naturally allow us to offer applause but that doesn’t mean we’re not proud of their achievements.
So on behalf of dogs everywhere I bestow upon Lilly and Seeger the highest honor canines can confer upon their breed:
“Good Dogs.”
Theo doesn’t do email, but he can be reached through his agent at rchipkin@repub.com