We all remember the old TV series Lassie, about a smart collie who is always able to save the day by alerting people of danger, like running for help when Timmy gets stuck in the well. While it sounds far-fetched, it turns out the show isn’t too far from real life: we’ve seen many stories of real, quick-thinking dogs who have saved lives by running to get help during emergencies.

That was the case recently, when a heroic German Shepherd led police to the scene of a car crash, helping to save his owner.

According to New Hampshire State Police, on January 3 Trooper Sandberg and officers from the Lebanon Police Department saw a German Shepherd loose on the interstate.

They tried to take in the dog, but it ran off down the highway, crossing into Vermont. The officers followed — and soon realized the dog wasn’t running from them, but was trying to lead them somewhere.

They discovered a damaged guardrail, which led them to a badly damaged, rolled-over pickup truck:

Two occupants of the vehicle were found on the scene, ejected from the vehicle. They were alive but “hypothermic and seriously injured.” It turned out that the German Shepherd, named Tinsley, was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash — and the smart dog had run for help. “It quickly became apparent that Tinsley led Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police to the crash site and injured occupants,” New Hampshire State Police wrote on Facebook.

Thankfully, Tinsley was not hurt in the accident. The officers called for medical assistance for the injured men. One of the men was Cam Laundry, Tinsley’s owner. He was proud of his dog’s quick-thinking, and wasn’t surprised she looked after him in his hour of need. “She’s my little guardian angel,” Cam told CBS Boston. “It’s a miracle how she has that kind of intelligence to do what she did.”

“She never leaves my side,” he told WMUR. “So we’re always together in that truck that got wrecked she’s always my co-pilot, she’s always with me.” And Tinsley continued to be there for her owner, even after saving his life: the “guardian angel” watched over him as he recovered from the incident.

“The whole time we were starting our patient care it sat there nice and calm right next to its owner,” said Captain Jack Hedges of Hartford Fire Department.

Dog

A dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora.

The history of dogs is an old tale indeed. You could say as long as there has been civilisation, there have been records of humans and dogs. Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China. Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation.

Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioural pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulnes and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships.

The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members.

The common name for the domestic dog is ‘Canis familiaris‘, a species of the dog family ‘Canidae‘. The dog is generally considered the ‘first’ domesticated animal.

Dogs can differ in appearance, function, temperament and size. Some small dogs can weigh as little as 1.5 pounds, whereas some larger dogs can weigh as much as 200 pounds. Depending on the country, there are about 138 officially recognised dog breeds, categorised into 7 different groups.

Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills.

It is estimated that for more than 12,000 years the dog has lived with humans as a hunting companion, protector and friend. A dog is one of the most popular pets in the world and has been referred to as ‘mans best friend’. Whether you are poor or rich, a dog will be faithful and loyal to you and love you to bits.

A pet dog will fit easily into family life and environment, they of course need caring for as any other pet – feeding, grooming, bathing and when ill, will need a visit to the vets. Dogs thrive on affection and will happily wag its tail when showered with love and attention. Dogs will also sit and sulk if they get told off for doing something wrong.