Animals are the greatest, wouldn’t you agree? We love seeing people taking care of animals, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that it’s even better to see animals taking care of humans. That being said, here are some animal-driven rescue stories to give you even more reasons to love our multi-legged companions:

1. An incident occurred in British Columbia, Canada, when 11-year-old Austin Forman went outside to collect wood, accompanied by his golden retriever Angel. When Austin was attacked by a cougar who tried to maul him, Angel fought and drove it off, saving his life.

“I was just lucky my dog was there, because it happened so fast I wouldn’t have known what hit me,” Forman told TODAY. “She was my best friend, but now she’s even greater to me.”

The stalwart 18-month-old dog had to have surgery to repair injuries on her head, the scars of which serve as a testament to her bravery and dedication to her human charge.

2. On a cold night in October 2007, a black kitten named Schnautzie tapped on her sleeping owner’s nose with her paw. At first, Trudy Guy thought Schnautzie wanted to play, so she ignored her. On the second set of taps, however, Guy saw how her kitten was sniffing the air, so she woke up her husband.

As they came to, the Guys could hear a hissing sound, which was coming from a broken gas pipe inside their home. The owners and the kitten escaped the fuming house and waited for firefighters to arrive. Schnautzie the cat earned a Purple Paw award from the Great Falls Animal Foundation for her heroic rescue.

3, When a fire broke out in Alaska at the home of  23-year-old Ben Heinrichs, he and his German Shepherd Buddy got out safely, but quickly found themselves in dire need of assistance. Heinrichs told Buddy, “We need to get help,” and the dog immediately took action. Buddy caught the attention of a state trooper who had gotten lost while trying to respond to the fire, and he ran through the snowy streets and kept looking back to make sure the trooper was still following. Buddy’s entire rescue effort was captured on the trooper’s dashboard video camera.

These examples are just three in a million. Animals (in all shapes, species and sizes) continue to be a human’s best friend and in special and miraculous circumstances- their guardian angels as well. So, Germies, do you have exceptional, daring pets at home? Has an animal ever rescued you from danger? Let us know!