When Rob Lee was 6 years old, a fire broke out in his family’s Fresno, Calif., house on the day before the Fourth of July. All of his family members were able to get out safely, including Lee’s dog, Mackie, who was carried out by a firefighter before the house collapsed in flames.
Inspired by that hero who saved Mackie’s life, Lee became a firefighter. He worked with several other fire departments before getting his dream job with the Fresno Fire Department.
Fast-forward to exactly 21 years after that house fire. On July 3, Lee was one of the firefighters who responded to a Fresno house fire that was probably ignited by fireworks that had set a nearby tree ablaze. Inside the house was a 10-year-old English Bulldog named Samson.
“There was a firefighter already inside tending to a dog and they were trying to get the dog out,” Lee told KFSN. “The dog had already bit that firefighter, so they were trying to get the dog out of the structure safely.”
With his helmet cam recording the rescue on video, Lee entered the burning house and saved Samson’s life.
“Houses can be rebuilt but dogs can’t be replaced,” Lee told KFSN.
Samson was treated for smoke inhalation, according to his owner, James Verdugo, who’s a veteran and suffers from PTSD. “He’s all I cared about,” Verdugo told KMPH. He wasn’t home at the time of the fire, but his roommates were, and were able to escape to safety.
After Verdugo got a call that his house was on fire and was driving home, he got another call that Samson had been rescued. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more overjoyed in the middle of so much tragedy,” he told KMPH. “It’s like everything was okay, even though my house was gone.”
Working with the Fresno Fire Department is “an absolute honor,” Lee told KFSN. “I can’t believe that I get to do this job.”
An online fundraiser to cover the cost of Samson’s $6,000 veterinarian bill has already raised over $5,000. You can make a contribution here.
A lot of dog owners were pretty alarmed in April by the news that Winston, a 2-year-old Pug who lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., had tested positive for the coronavirus. Until then, there were cases of humans, tigers and cats being infected with COVID-19. Could dogs really get it, too?
The good news: The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has announced that Winston probably didn’t really have the coronavirus.
The bad news: The NVSL also confirmed that a German Shepherd in New York did indeed have the virus. “This is the first dog in the United States to test positive for SARS-CoV-2,” the agency stated.
The good news: The German Shepherd is expected to make a full recovery.
Like Winston, the German Shepherd’s unidentified owner tested positive for COVID-19 before the dog began showing symptoms of respiratory illness. And, like Winston, another dog in the German Shepherd’s household did not test positive for the virus. The other dog did have the antibodies, however, indicating that he or she had been exposed to COVID-19.
The NVSL was unable to verify that Winston had COVID-19. “The weak detection … from the original oral swab may be the result of contamination from the COVID-19 positive household,” agency representative Lyndsay Cole told USA TODAY.
Winston had been coughing frequently and lost his appetite for a day. His dog mom, Dr. Heather McLean, is a pediatrician at Duke Health. She and two other members of her family were also infected with COVID-19. They all had mild symptoms. The family’s other dog and a cat did not test positive.
So, how were family pets able to be tested for COVID-19 when thousands of humans are still waiting to be tested?
As for Winston, his family is participating in a Duke University study that’s researching how bodies react to infections. The study, called the Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI), was launched before the pandemic. The results will hopefully lead to effective tests and treatments for infections like COVID-19.
On April 1, MESSI researchers came to her home to test her family. “They all came out to our house and did blood samples,” McLean told WRAL. “For the humans, they swabbed our noses as well as our mouths, and for the animals they did oral swabs for both dogs and the cat.”
The German Shepherd tested presumptive positive for SARS-CoV-2 at a private veterinary laboratory. The results were reported to state and federal officials. More samples were collected from the dog and the result was confirmed by the NVSL.
“While additional animals may test positive as infections continue in people, it is important to note that performing this animal testing does not reduce the availability of tests for humans,” the NVSL said in its announcement.
If you’re concerned about your own dog getting COVID-19, McLean said you shouldn’t worry too much about it. “We’re not seeing an epidemic of household pets or them transmitting it to other humans and animals — we just happened to detect it in our dog,” she told USA TODAY in late April.
In early March, a dog belonging to someone with the coronavirus in Hong Kong was believed to be the first pet dog in the world to get the virus from a human.
The NVSL stated that “there’s currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus. Based on the limited information available, the risk of animals spreading the virus to people is considered to be low. There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare.” A list of animals that have tested positive for COVID-19 is available on the USDA website.
Protecting Your Dog from COVID-19
To help prevent your dog from being infected with COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you do the following:
Don’t let your dog interact with other people or animals outside your home.
Walk your dog on a leash and stay at least 6 feet away from other people and animals.
Even if they’re open in your area, avoid dog parks and other public places where people and dogs congregate.
If you have been infected with COVID-19:
If at all possible, have another family member or friend take care of your dog.
If you must be around your dog, wear a face mask and wash your hands frequently.
The hard part: Avoid touching, kissing, snuggling or otherwise interacting with your dog.
Four years ago, when Abigail was just a pup, the Pit Bull was rescued as a stray off the streets of Miami. She had horrific injuries. Half of her face was missing, with the skin ripped down to her right eardrum.
Victoria Frazier, founder of Love Is Fur Ever (LIFE) Dog Rescue, fostered Abigail after she saw her photo on a Miami shelter’s Facebook page.
“We brought her to our vet and at first didn’t know what happened,” Frazier told ABC News in December 2016. When Abigail was shaved to treat her injuries, scars and puncture wounds were revealed on her head, neck and back legs.
“This was not a one-time thing,” Frazier said. “It was consistent with having been used as bait in a dog-fighting ring.”
Abigail herself proved to be a fighter, but in a very positive way. She endured several surgeries and skin grafts. During her weeks of recovery, the bandages on her face had to be changed several times daily. Frazier noticed that the gauze over her Abigail’s ear resembled a bow. Frazier bought some headbands for Abigail to wear. This inspired her to launch the Bonnets for Abigail page on Facebook, which now has over 31,000 fans.
People from around the world have sent bonnets for Abigail to wear as she helps raise awareness of the horrors of dog fighting.
In 2017, Abigail was adopted by Jason and Megan Steinke of Fort Myers, Fla. “She has settled in perfectly to our family,” Megan Steinke said at the time. “There really wasn’t any sort of a rough transition. She came into our home and knew that’s where she was meant to be.”
Based on what happened to her early in her life, you might think Abigail would be frightened of other dogs, yet she quickly became best friends with Tala, the Steinkes’ rescue Pit Bull mix. Both Abigail and Tala became certified therapy dogs.
Abigail was was awarded the top title of American Hero Dog at the 2017 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, which recognize “extraordinary acts of heroism performed by ordinary dogs.”
As the Hero Dog Awards website stated, Abigail didn’t need therapy because she is the therapy: “She loves people and dogs. She has a mission to continue to teach forgiveness and end dog fighting.”
Three years later, Abigail is going to be “the newest Disney princess,” Megan Steinke told FOX 4. Abigail is starring in the May 29 episode of “It’s a Dog’s Life” on the Disney+ streaming service. This new series features working dogs as well as “hometown hero” dogs. In tonight’s episode, Abigail is the hometown hero.
“It’s just been so inspiring to see the impact a dog can make on people, and really advocate for the breed of the Pit Bull, and help rescue dogs,” Steinke told FOX 4. “Rescue dogs aren’t broken. They have so much love to give, and Abigail is an example of that.”
Congratulations to Abigail for overcoming a rough start in life and becoming a true hero.
Memorial Day is a time to honor the memory of those who bravely gave their lives for their country – and that should include four-legged as well as two-legged war heroes. Here are some monuments around the United States that pay tribute to the many military working dogs who bravely served their country.
1. United States War Dogs Memorial (New Jersey)
Located at the entrance to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel, N.J., this bronze statue of a Vietnam War soldier kneeling beside his loyal four-legged partner was funded and dedicated by the United States War Dogs Association in 2006. Sculptor Bruce Lindsay created the statue, which was the first official memorial in the United States to honor military dogs.
“Military canines make contributions every day while they serve in our military,” the association’s president, Ron Aiello, a former Marine scout dog handler and Vietnam veteran, said in 2006. “They are hardworking and do a great job of saving the lives of their handlers and the troops who walk in their footsteps.”
What makes this and other memorials especially heartrending is that most of the life-saving hero dogs that served during the Vietnam War never made it home alive.
2. US Military Working Dog Teams National Monument (Texas)
This monument, dedicated in 2013, is open to the public at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland in Texas. It depicts a soldier standing alongside the four most common breeds of military dogs since World War II: a Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Belgian Malinois. The pedestal is inscribed, “Guardians of America’s Freedom.”
The monument also includes the “Not Forgotten Fountain.” This is a bronze statue of a soldier pouring water from a canteen into his helmet for his partner, the German Shepherd sitting by his side.
“These dogs were patriots just as much as anybody else who served,” military dog handler John Baker, whose unit, 212th Military Police Company Detachment A, was known as “Hell on Paws,” told Reuters when the monument was unveiled.
JBSA-Lackland is the home of the Department of Defense Military Working Dog program, the world’s largest training center for military dogs and handlers. The center has been training dogs for all branches of the military since 1958.
Although he was the most decorated war dog in U.S. history and the only military dog ever promoted to sergeant, it took over 100 years for Sgt. Stubby to be honored with a monument. In 2018, “Stubby Salutes,” a life-size statue of the hero dog, was dedicated in Middletown, Conn. The original casting remains there, and the statue is now in the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in New York City.
After Stubby was rescued in 1917 on a Yale University field by John Robert Conroy, a soldier who was training for World War I combat, Conroy smuggled his dog aboard his ship with him when he was deployed to France. During 17 battles on the Western Front, Stubby saved countless lives by alerting troops when he smelled mustard gas or heard artillery shells. He was able to crawl under barbed wire fences to reach injured soldiers and remained beside them until help arrived. He captured a German spy by the seat of his pants. And, as a plaque on his statue says, Stubby “was a morale booster.”
Conroy’s family had tried for 30 years to get a monument dedicated to Stubby, according to the Associated Press. The statue was created by artist Susan Bahary. Along with Stubby’s likeness, Bahary said she wanted “to capture that beautiful spirit. That courage. His bravery. His ability to cheer up the troops both on the battlefield and at home.”
4. Military Working Dog Tribute (Wisconsin)
This life-sized bronze sculpture inside Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neillsville, Wisc., depicts a soldier crouched beside his partner, a German shepherd, with one hand holding a rifle and the other holding the dog’s harness. Plaques display the names of handlers and their dogs.
The memorial “is in recognition of the military working dogs that have graced the soldiers’ lives who worked in combat with these brothers in arms,” according to the official website. Dedicated in 2018, it was created by Michael Martino and conceived by a group of Vietnam War veterans.
In what seem to be ideal win-win situations, two dogs that survived severe burns have been adopted by fire departments in Florida. They not only serve as fire safety ambassadors and inspire burn victims, but they also help provide comfort to their stressed-out, two-legged coworkers.
Meet Clover and Ruby, who will hopefully motivate fire departments across the country to adopt four-legged burn survivors of their own.
Clover
Two years ago, when Clover was only five weeks old, a propane heater ignited a fire in the Alabama shed in which the Cur Hound mix was living with her mom and littermates. The other dogs made it out unharmed, but when a piece of wood fell on Clover, she suffered severe burns to her head, paws, chest and back.
Clover was taken in by the Suncoast Animal League, a Palm Harbor, Fla., nonprofit dedicated to caring for homeless pets and wildlife. The league posted photos of the resilient puppy as she recovered, and Clover’s fan base quickly grew. Among those following her amazing progress was the staff at Florida’s Madeira Beach Fire Department (MBFD), who, coincidentally, had been thinking about getting a firehouse dog.
Suncoast Animal League arranged a meet-and-greet. For the firefighters, it was love at first sight. When Clover was four months old, the department adopted her, and she was officially sworn in as Fire Station 25′s new firehouse dog.
Clover visits local schools as a fire safety ambassador and shows kids how to stop, drop and roll. She’s also proven to be an inspiration for two-legged survivors of fires and health issues.
“We ran into a young child who saw the scars and he goes, ‘Oh, I have scars, too.’ His scars were from cancer,” MDFD firefighter-paramedic John Sleppy told FOX 13. “She was just really, really loving with him. It was just cool to see them relate – two fighters.”
Having Clover around the station also lifts the firefighters’ spirits. The 12 who work there take turns walking, feeding and bathing her.
“In our line of work, we see things and do things that a lot of people don’t see in their entire lives, and sometimes that can affect you,” Sleppy told FOX 13. “It’s nice to come back to the station, where it’s more like a home now when your dog’s always got a smile and wants to lick you.”
Ruby, who appears to be a Pit Bull mix, was only a few months old in 2018 when a fire broke out in the Georgia home where she lived with her owner and another dog. Running through the flames to escape, Ruby was the only survivor. She suffered third-degree burns and was in critical condition for over a week. Like Clover, Suncoast Animal League eventually took Ruby in.
In the meantime, Florida’s Palm Harbor Fire Rescue (PHFR) heard about Clover being adopted by the MBFD, and thought it would be a great idea to adopt their own furry burn survivor. Later that year, Ruby was sworn in as the official firehouse dog of PHFR Station 65.
Like Clover, Ruby serves as a fire safety ambassador, helping with public education outreach programs.
“She already knows how to stop, drop and roll and we’ve been teaching her to crawl low under smoke,” Elizabeth Graham, PHFR public information officer, told FOX 13 in 2018. “She’s a part of the family now and I can’t wait to see how many lives she will touch.”
As Clover has also done, Ruby attends camps with children who are burn survivors. To have her there “and show everybody that she is a survivor and that she can make it through, it’s amazing,” Graham told ABC News.
Ruby has proven to be a welcome addition around the fire station. “As a department, having a dog around, if you are having a low day or something, the dog is always going to be there, always be loving,” firefighter-paramedic Tyrell Platt told FOX 13. “The dog has no negative. So I definitely think it is going to be good for the department and people individually.”
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