When Bertha Martinez saw Astro, a stray American Pit Bull Terrier mix, wandering the streets of her El Paso neighborhood last year, she initially was reluctant to rescue him. After all, the media tends to only focus on negative stories about these dogs, so she had concerns. But she couldn’t resist the friendly dog’s charms and decided to give him a forever home.
One year later, Astro has paid it forward by saving the life of Martinez’s son when he had a medical emergency.
Astro ran and got the attention of a good Samaritan and led him to Martinez’s son. The good Samaritan called 911. Emergency responders from the El Paso Fire Department (EPFD) soon arrived and rushed Martinez’s son to a hospital, where his life was saved.
Everyone, meet Cosmo. Today, Cosmo’s owner had a medical emergency. Cosmo ran and led a good samaritan to the location, 911 was called. Thanks to this, crews were able to assist and transport the patient, saving his life.
Who’s the goodest boy of them all?! pic.twitter.com/0YPee3aiid
— El Paso Fire Department (@EPTXFire) April 14, 2021
In recognition of Astro’s heroism, the EPFD had a special ceremony during which the Pit Bull received a medal and a dog-safe cake.
“The 911 caller reported that a dog led him to the patient in need,” EPFD spokesman Enrique Duenas-Aguilar said, according to the El Paso Times. “This, of course, got a lot of attention. And the crews did confirm when they found the patient, there was a dog protecting his owner. We know the dog was even trying to climb into the ambulance.”
Duenas-Aguilar said the EPFD was “glad to be here to honor Astro for his bravery, his friendship and his commitment that he shared to his owner.”
Martinez told the El Paso Times that before adopting Astro, she had always been afraid of Pit Bulls. “But now I think if people have space for a dog, they should consider adopting a Pit Bull,” she said. “There are a lot of dogs in shelters and we need to find them homes and treat them well.”
So true! Like Martinez, I used to be nervous around Pit Bulls because of all the negative press about them. But my boyfriend loved the breed and so back in 1995 I agreed to welcome Larry, an American Staffordshire Terrier, into our home. Larry turned out to be the sweetest dog I’ve ever had, and he totally changed my mind about Pit Bulls. Although Larry never saved my life, he was an amazing (untrained) emotional support dog and the best cuddlebug you could ask for. He died in 2007 and I still miss him.
Pit Bulls rule! Congrats to Astro, the goodest boy of them all.
Photo: @EPTXFire/Twitter