Dogs pull off amazing feats

The bond between dog and owner can be almost unbreakable. That's the premise of "Eight Below," last weekend's top box-office movie.

But you don't have to go to the movies to know that dogs can be a man's — or a woman's — best friend. Many Georgia residents will tell you their dogs have done amazing things, from saving them after a stroke to pulling them out of the way of a speeding car to just being there when the rest of the world had gone away.

Mindy Nelson of Roberta, near Macon, says she owes her life to her Great Dane, Atilla. In January 2003, less than a year after she adopted the large dog from a rescue group, Nelson suffered a stroke and landed on the floor in front of the sliding glass door in her kitchen. She was alone, unable to move and cold. Atilla draped himself over Nelson for hours to keep her warm.

"When I told the doctor what Atilla had done, he said if I had gotten too cold I could have gone into shock and died," Nelson said. "He said Atilla saved my life."

Since then, she says, Atilla just instinctively helps. If Nelson's unsteady on her feet, the 140-pound dog leans into her and steadies her. If she drops something, he picks it up for her. If she falls, he lets her pull herself up on him. All despite the fact that he has a broken back that didn't heal properly and is 9 years old, elderly for a giant breed.

Some dogs just seem to have the instinct to help, said Karen Armsey, program administrator of the Human Animal Bond in Tennessee program at the University of Tennessee, which does animal-assisted therapy.

"Dogs have been bred to be our helpers," Armsey said. "For millenniums, dogs and humans have depended on each other."

Bill and Nancy Hunt never taught their flat-coated retriever, Xena, to help other living things, but they wonder if, before they adopted her, her experience as an unwanted pet taught her the value of life.

They say Xena once rescued a family parrot that fell into a pond, gently retrieving the bird and laying it at Bill Hunt's feet. Another time, the dog prevented a toddler from going into the same pond, running back and forth in front of the child while barking to attract attention. In 2000, the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, which maintains the Georgia Animal Hall of Fame, awarded Xena its Hero Animal of the Year award.

"We live on 18 acres near Stone Mountain, and she's the mother of everything on our land," Bill Hunt said. "If the cats catch a squirrel, she'll take it away and let it go."

Other dogs may not make such dramatic moves but are still heroes to their owners. Lauri Hunter of the Toco Hill area said her dog, Jake, helps her connect with the outside world and keeps her company when she's alone. Jake, a golden retriever mix, was trained by Canine Assistants of Alpharetta. The group schools dogs in routine tasks that children and adults with physical disabilities or special needs can't do.

"I've made some lasting friendships because people have stopped to see Jake," said Hunter, a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair. "And he's such a comfort to me when I'm alone. I know he will protect me, and he can open the door if we need to get out."

A family in Fayetteville also takes great comfort in its dog, Dixie, who seven years ago saved two sons from an attack by a water moccasin and was named a hero by the GVMA. Valerie Humphries said Dixie took two bites to the face to protect her family and nearly died. She said many people are even more amazed at the story when they learn her breed, pit bull.

"People just don't know how loving and loyal they are," Humphries said. "She's just a big old baby who sleeps with the kids, but we know if anything threatens us, she'll be right there."

Sometimes, of course, it's people who are trying to save their canine friends. That's why Skipper, a cocker spaniel, is alive today. In 2004, the puppy was found in a plastic bag in a Dumpster in Dothan, Ala., her legs taped together, her body covered in mange. She was nearly dead from starvation.

Joanne Halvorson of Bethlehem, Ga., a volunteer with the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center, worked with her vet to nurse the dog back to health. When it was over, Halvorson couldn't part with the tiny black dog.

Today, Skipper is a registered therapy dog, visiting up to 10 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers a month so residents can enjoy the love of a dog. She has passed her Canine Good Citizen test, which is sponsored by the American Kennel Club and is awarded to dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. She also goes to a local elementary school, where she sits calmly while children read to her, which helps develop their reading skills. She and Halvorson are even taking up freestyle canine dancing, performing intricate dance routines together. Last year Skipper was named the GVMA's Companion Animal of the Year.

"People told me I should just put her down, she was in such horrible shape, but I couldn't do it," Halvorson said. "There was just something about her. She's an extraordinary dog."

David Postle of Tybee Island feels the same way about his guide dog, Acme, who has been with him about eight years. Postle, who is blind, credits Acme, GVMA's 2005 Hero Animal of the Year, with making him more positive and confident. He also credits Acme with saving his life by pulling him out of the way of speeding cars at least three times.

"Not all angels have two feet," he said.
 

By SANDRA ECKSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/24/06