When it comes to man’s best friend, we are used to seeing them standing up for us. Dogs have been used in society as more than just a companion for millennia, and it is highly likely that they were first domesticated in order to serve as a working animal for small human villages, potentially assisting on hunts or keeping rodent populations in check. In our modern world, they have a number of important jobs, including sniffer dogs whose exceptional noses allow them to isolate and locate bombs and drugs; assistance dogs who help the disabled continue to lead a relatively normal and independent life; sheepdogs who work hard to help manage and herd flocks; and guard dogs who spend their life protecting us from harm. Simply put, we owe dogs a lot.
For one lucky dog in Oak Park, Illinois, however, one firefighter just repaid that debt. In an incredible display of bravery and selflessness, the team worked to rescue a dog who had been trapped in the heart of the inferno that had been consuming his family’s residential building. The dog was in poor shape, but that didn’t stop them; they gave him oxygen and fought to save his life, treating him as an individual who was just as important as any human casualty.
The bravery of the firefighters that day meant that the dog made a full recovery and is now doing well once again. This video represents such a rare display of genuine bravery and care that gives us much-needed hope for the future of humanity as a species.
