Daisy to the Rescue : True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes

With their love and companionship, animals of all species help to make human lives better every day. But sometimes, to our utter amazement and everlasting gratitude, animals literally save our lives. This heartwarming book collects over 50 real-life stories in which the actions of animals have meant the difference between life and death. Today, scientists vigorously debate questions regarding the sentience, intelligence, and emotions of animals. In particular, they want to know whether animals share with humans the highest emotions of empathy, compassion, and altruism. Daisy to the Rescue poses these questions for readers to consider, and examines these extreme life-saving situations for possible evidence. Gathered together, these stories make a compelling case for the presence of altruism in animals. Daisy to the Rescue provides dramatic, thrilling, and moving stories that convey a hopeful message about our world. But these stories also provide startling evidence of the mental and emotional capacities of animals, those beings we share the world with. Front Cover -- Front Flap -- Front Matter -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Forward -- Introduction -- Part One: Domestic Companions -- LuLu the Pot-Bellied Pig ... Stops Traffic -- Dory the Rabbit ... Leaps Into Action -- Mkombozi the Dog ... Rescues an Abandoned Baby -- Frisky the Dog ... Kisses His Owner -- Honey the Cocker Spaniel ... Meets the Neighbors -- Shana the Half-Breed Wolf ... Digs a Tunnel of Love -- Toby the Golden Retriever ... Performs the Heimlich Maneuver -- Khan the Doberman Pinscher ... Tosses the Toddler -- Willie the Quaker Parrot ... Learns a New Word -- Inky the Cat ... Knocks on the Door -- Angel the Golden Retriever ... Wrestles a Cougar -- "Free-of-Charge Mutts" ... Fend Off a Suicide Bomber -- Stormy the Quarter Horse ... Drop Kicks a Feral Boar -- Kabang the Aspin ... Stops a Motorcycle -- Pudding the Maine Coon ... Plays Doctor -- Lilly the Pit Bull ... Confronts a Freight Train -- Czarue the Stray ... Keeps a Lost Girl Warm -- Part Two: Trained to Serve, Inspired to Heal -- Fonzie the Dolphin ... Makes a Boy Laugh -- Dakota the Golden Retriever ... Predicts Heart Attacks -- Endal the Labrador Retriever ... Becomes Endal, the Wonder Dog! -- Roselle the Guide Dog ... Leads the Way Out -- Trakr the German Shepherd ... Finds the Last Survivor -- Rocky the K-9 ... Catches an Armed Fugitive -- Cheyenne the Pit Bull ... Keeps a Vet from Suicide -- Betsy the Quarter Horse ... Bows to a Child -- Molly the Pony ... Loses a Leg and Inspires Hope -- Chancer the Golden Retriever ... Calms the Storm -- Treo the Labrador Retriever ... Sniffs Out a Bomb -- Ricochet the Surfing Dog ... Rides with the Disabled -- Daisy the Labrador Retriever ... Detects Breast Cancer -- Cairo the Belgian Malinois ... Assists Navy SEAL Team Six Who rescued who? This popular animal-shelter bumper sticker captures an enduring emotional truth: With their love and companionship, animals of all species save our lives every day. But sometimes, to our utter amazement and everlasting gratitude, animals literally save our lives, and this heartwarming book collects over 50 real-life stories of animals rescuing people, in which the actions of animals have meant the difference between life and death. Today, scientists vigorously debate questions regarding the sentience, intelligence, and emotions of animals. In particular, they want to know whether animals share with humans the highest emotions of empathy, compassion, and altruism. This book also poses these questions for readers to consider, and using current research on animal minds and emotions, it examines these extreme life-saving situations for possible evidence. Where appropriate, skepticism and doubt surrounding particular stories is included, but gathered together, these anecdotes make a compelling case for the presence of altruism in animals. Thus, this book provides dramatic, thrilling, and moving stories that convey a hopeful message about our world. But these stories also provide startling evidence of the mental and emotional capacities of animals, those being we share the world with. Who rescued who? This popular animal-shelter bumper sticker captures an enduring emotional truth: With their love and companionship, animals save our lives every day. But sometimes, to our utter amazement and everlasting gratitude, animals literally save our lives, and this heartwarming book collects over fifty real-life stories of animals rescuing people, in which their bravery and compassion have meant the difference between life and death. Collects over fifty true stories of heroic animals rescuing people, including a pot-bellied pig, parrot, dolphin, and half-breed wolf, with current scientific research about the human-animal bond A heartwarming look into 50 incredible stories of animals rescuing humans.