Living isolated in the woods has its advantages, like being surrounded by nature, no traffic and serenity at every turn. You’re able to look up at night, on a hot summer day, and see all the stars in the clear sky. There’s no pollution, no noise, and all the peace in the world. But, being in a remote rural area also has its disadvantages, like being far from civilization in case of emergency, not having access to facilities as quickly as possible in case you’re in need, and being so deep into the forest. For those who visit, it’s easy for them to make a wrong turn and get disoriented.
An emergency in a rural area is what happened in the story we’re about to share below. But thankfully, this tale has one extraordinary dog to save the day. Responding to reports of a fire near Caswell Lakes in rural Alaska, Officer Terrence Shanigan got lost on the long, winding roads. To make matters worse, his GPS froze, and he was stuck – until he saw a “frantic” dog on the corner.
Intrigued, and with no other options, the officer followed him, noticing that the dog, Buddy, was subtly giving off cues that he was leading – speeding up, looking back, and galloping. This behavior goes to show how smart, aware, and attentive Buddy is. Officer Shanigan describes the situation as intuitive, he “…let the dog’s mushing instincts take over.” He had a gut feeling all along while feeling a connection with Buddy.
The officer followed him down and around the roads, and lo and behold, a house was up in blazing flames. Buddy even ran to the driver’s side when Officer Shanigan opened it, his nose nudging towards the house.
Buddy, the German Shepherd, was awarded a silver bowl at a ceremony in his honor for his heroic actions – he saved his owner’s life, again. In the past, he’s scared off bears while his owner was fishing. Dogs can sense the danger and will do pretty much anything to ensure that their owners aren’t harmed.
Do you know of any stories similar to this one? Dogs and other animals are saving lives all the time! Share your stories with us in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Click below to watch the raw video and an interview with Officer Shanigan. Although Buddy has passed away since then, the memory of this incredible dog still lives on.
