We’ve all heard stories of animal bravery. It’s no wonder we refer to dogs as “man’s best friend,” when on numerous occasions we see examples of unbelievable animal valor. Even though we give our pets their due, you can’t ever say or hear enough about a heroic pet. So to commemorate the random acts of heroism performed by pets around the world, here is a short list of the top 3 most heroic dogs in history!

Trakr the German shepherd- Trakr is an animal so famous that they cloned him. This heroic animal was the one to discover the final survivor buried beneath the wreckage at Ground Zero of the 9/11 attacks. The brave pooch and his handler, a Canadian police officer, spent all day September 12 2001 searching the rubble for signs of life. He eventually collapsed due to exhaustion, smoke inhalation, and burns. He recovered the day after, but eventually died due to a neurological disease that he may have contracted during the search.

Trakr actually had already accrued quite a history of heroism prior to his most famous exploit. He was a police dog in Halifax, Nova Scotia, responsible for the retrieval of over one million dollars’ worth of contraband, and instrumental in the capture of dozens of criminal suspects.

Trakr is truly the definition of a heroic hound.

Seargent Stubby- Seargent Stubby was the most decorated war dog of WWI. The dog was a stray of unknown breeding, adopted by the 26^th division of the 102^nd infantry division. Stubby was initially a mascot for the division, but became adept at predicting mustard gas attacks after being exposed to the dastardly substance himself. In addition to sniffing out gas attacks, the courageous canine located wounded soldiers throughout the battlefield, and warned of incoming artillery fire due to the high pitched whine that would signal an approaching shell. After the war, Stubby enjoyed celebrity status, often leading parades. He also became the official mascot of the Georgetown University football team.

Tog the Siberian Huskee- Togo is truly the unsung hero of rescue dogs. During a dreadful cold Alaskan winter, an outbreak of deadly diphtheria swept through Nome. The only way to retrieve the medicine that would save dozens of children’s lives was by dog sled.

If the story sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the plot to Balto. An animated feature film that told the story of the dog that led the sled during the last leg of the relay. However, most historians consider Togo to be the real hero of the journey. At the ripe old age of 12 years, he led the team over 365 miles round trip through subzero temperatures that reached as low as -65 degrees Celsius.
 
The snow and wind was so heavy that the musher, Leonhard Seppala,  couldn’t even see the path. Togo had to navigate the storm on his own, and led the team to safety several times throughout the perilous journey.

Check back for more tales of heroic pets!