There
are plenty of stories of dogs performing acts of heroism, saving their
guardians from house fires, wild animals and other dangers. But the
story of Shana, a wolf and German Shepherd mix and her rescue of Eve and
Norman Fertig one fall night, stands out as one of the most remarkable
acts of loyalty and heroic bravery of a dog, ever.
Back in 2006, the Fertigs, both 81 years old, were tending to the
injured animals in their forested animal sanctuary in Alden, New York as
part of their nightly routine when a massive storm hit suddenly. The
power went out in their aviary and Eve realized something was wrong.
They went outside to see what was happening and saw trees toppling and
heavy snow falling. The couple was unprepared for the elements as
neither had warm clothes on since it had just been a clear, crisp fall
day just a few hours ago. Exposed to the freezing cold, they hugged each
other for warmth as temperatures dropped rapidly and trees continued
to fall around them. Said Eve, "I wasn't prepared for this … I thought,
'we're trapped, we're absolutely trapped,'" Eve said.
The
Fertigs huddled in a narrow alley between their hospital building and
the aviary, where they were sheltered from falling trees. But they
couldn't climb over the trees without injuring themselves, and the path
to their home was blocked by the collapsed trees. She turned to her
husband and said, 'Norman, we can't stay here, we'll die." Luckily they
had Shana with them.
Shana was Eve and Norman’s rescue from a puppy mill. They got her
when she was only two-weeks-old and sick. That had been seven years
earlier, and now the 160-pound dog would be their savior. Shana began
digging a path in the snow with her teeth and claws underneath the
fallen trees. After two hours, she had dug a 1-foot-wide tunnel 20 feet
back to their home.
Shana then came back and barked at them to follow her. At first Norm
was reluctant: "I had enough in Okinawa in a foxhole," referring to his
service in World War II. Eve retorted "'Norman, if you do not follow
me, I will get a divorce,'" Married for 62 years the words caught Norm’s
attention. "That did it. He said, 'a divorce? That would scandal our
family.' I said, 'all of our family is dead, Norman!'"
Shana
grabbed the sleeve of Eve’s jacket and Eve grabbed hold of her,
climbing onto her back and holding onto her neck. Norman grabbed Eve's
legs, and the dog pulled the two of them through her makeshift tunnel,
under the trees to an opening in the fence near their home. They arrived
at the fence around 2 a.m. in the morning "It was quite a distance,"
Eve said. "We get out and she pulls us out. We got on the back deck, got
the back door open and we fell inside. And we laid there all night." As
their home had no electricity and no heat, Shana lay ontop of them,
heating them like a portable furnace until the following morning when
the local fire department arrived.
"It was the most heroic thing I've ever seen in my life," Eve said. "She kept us alive. She really did," Eve said.
Shana later received a fire helmet from the local fire department and
the Humane Animal Treatment's Hero's Award for Bravery, an award given
to humans.
Read more at
http://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/445-incredible-rescue-of-elderly-couple-by-heroic-wolf-dog#uqs2XAxBB5FF7qlm.99
There
are plenty of stories of dogs performing acts of heroism, saving their
guardians from house fires, wild animals and other dangers. But the
story of Shana, a wolf and German Shepherd mix and her rescue of Eve and
Norman Fertig one fall night, stands out as one of the most remarkable
acts of loyalty and heroic bravery of a dog, ever.
Back in 2006, the Fertigs, both 81 years old, were tending to the
injured animals in their forested animal sanctuary in Alden, New York as
part of their nightly routine when a massive storm hit suddenly. The
power went out in their aviary and Eve realized something was wrong.
They went outside to see what was happening and saw trees toppling and
heavy snow falling. The couple was unprepared for the elements as
neither had warm clothes on since it had just been a clear, crisp fall
day just a few hours ago. Exposed to the freezing cold, they hugged each
other for warmth as temperatures dropped rapidly and trees continued
to fall around them. Said Eve, "I wasn't prepared for this … I thought,
'we're trapped, we're absolutely trapped,'" Eve said.
The
Fertigs huddled in a narrow alley between their hospital building and
the aviary, where they were sheltered from falling trees. But they
couldn't climb over the trees without injuring themselves, and the path
to their home was blocked by the collapsed trees. She turned to her
husband and said, 'Norman, we can't stay here, we'll die." Luckily they
had Shana with them.
Shana was Eve and Norman’s rescue from a puppy mill. They got her
when she was only two-weeks-old and sick. That had been seven years
earlier, and now the 160-pound dog would be their savior. Shana began
digging a path in the snow with her teeth and claws underneath the
fallen trees. After two hours, she had dug a 1-foot-wide tunnel 20 feet
back to their home.
Shana then came back and barked at them to follow her. At first Norm
was reluctant: "I had enough in Okinawa in a foxhole," referring to his
service in World War II. Eve retorted "'Norman, if you do not follow
me, I will get a divorce,'" Married for 62 years the words caught Norm’s
attention. "That did it. He said, 'a divorce? That would scandal our
family.' I said, 'all of our family is dead, Norman!'"
Shana
grabbed the sleeve of Eve’s jacket and Eve grabbed hold of her,
climbing onto her back and holding onto her neck. Norman grabbed Eve's
legs, and the dog pulled the two of them through her makeshift tunnel,
under the trees to an opening in the fence near their home. They arrived
at the fence around 2 a.m. in the morning "It was quite a distance,"
Eve said. "We get out and she pulls us out. We got on the back deck, got
the back door open and we fell inside. And we laid there all night." As
their home had no electricity and no heat, Shana lay ontop of them,
heating them like a portable furnace until the following morning when
the local fire department arrived.
"It was the most heroic thing I've ever seen in my life," Eve said. "She kept us alive. She really did," Eve said.
Shana later received a fire helmet from the local fire department and
the Humane Animal Treatment's Hero's Award for Bravery, an award given
to humans.
Read more at
http://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/445-incredible-rescue-of-elderly-couple-by-heroic-wolf-dog#uqs2XAxBB5FF7qlm.99
There
are plenty of stories of dogs performing acts of heroism, saving their
guardians from house fires, wild animals and other dangers. But the
story of Shana, a wolf and German Shepherd mix and her rescue of Eve and
Norman Fertig one fall night, stands out as one of the most remarkable
acts of loyalty and heroic bravery of a dog, ever.
Back in 2006, the Fertigs, both 81 years old, were tending to the
injured animals in their forested animal sanctuary in Alden, New York as
part of their nightly routine when a massive storm hit suddenly. The
power went out in their aviary and Eve realized something was wrong.
They went outside to see what was happening and saw trees toppling and
heavy snow falling. The couple was unprepared for the elements as
neither had warm clothes on since it had just been a clear, crisp fall
day just a few hours ago. Exposed to the freezing cold, they hugged each
other for warmth as temperatures dropped rapidly and trees continued
to fall around them. Said Eve, "I wasn't prepared for this … I thought,
'we're trapped, we're absolutely trapped,'" Eve said.
The
Fertigs huddled in a narrow alley between their hospital building and
the aviary, where they were sheltered from falling trees. But they
couldn't climb over the trees without injuring themselves, and the path
to their home was blocked by the collapsed trees. She turned to her
husband and said, 'Norman, we can't stay here, we'll die." Luckily they
had Shana with them.
Shana was Eve and Norman’s rescue from a puppy mill. They got her
when she was only two-weeks-old and sick. That had been seven years
earlier, and now the 160-pound dog would be their savior. Shana began
digging a path in the snow with her teeth and claws underneath the
fallen trees. After two hours, she had dug a 1-foot-wide tunnel 20 feet
back to their home.
Shana then came back and barked at them to follow her. At first Norm
was reluctant: "I had enough in Okinawa in a foxhole," referring to his
service in World War II. Eve retorted "'Norman, if you do not follow
me, I will get a divorce,'" Married for 62 years the words caught Norm’s
attention. "That did it. He said, 'a divorce? That would scandal our
family.' I said, 'all of our family is dead, Norman!'"
Shana
grabbed the sleeve of Eve’s jacket and Eve grabbed hold of her,
climbing onto her back and holding onto her neck. Norman grabbed Eve's
legs, and the dog pulled the two of them through her makeshift tunnel,
under the trees to an opening in the fence near their home. They arrived
at the fence around 2 a.m. in the morning "It was quite a distance,"
Eve said. "We get out and she pulls us out. We got on the back deck, got
the back door open and we fell inside. And we laid there all night." As
their home had no electricity and no heat, Shana lay ontop of them,
heating them like a portable furnace until the following morning when
the local fire department arrived.
"It was the most heroic thing I've ever seen in my life," Eve said. "She kept us alive. She really did," Eve said.
Shana later received a fire helmet from the local fire department and
the Humane Animal Treatment's Hero's Award for Bravery, an award given
to humans.
Read more at
http://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/445-incredible-rescue-of-elderly-couple-by-heroic-wolf-dog#uqs2XAxBB5FF7qlm.99