Loyalty And Love Stories That Will Thrill You
Dogs are faithful and loyal animals. Companions and guardians who are always there when we need them. Many of them became very famous dogs because of their great courage and bravery. Accidental heroes that have been marked in history by demonstrations of loyalty and love towards their owners.
Below, we share the story of two dogs who are known for their courage and drive.
The first one has as protagonist the story of an athlete, a Retriever, who, thanks to his great decision, saved twenty people from drowning in the deep waters of a river.
The second, the life of a friendly St. Bernard, who became a celebrity during World War II.
Let’s get to know these beautiful stories of loyalty and love.
jack of swansea
Courage is one of the virtues that has always been present in the stories of dogs and Jack is certainly an example of this.
It was a black Retriever dog that lived with its owner in Wales during the 1930s. So far, the story is nothing strange. However, in late June 1931, everything changed.
Jack was on the Swansea River taking a nap, but suddenly some screams broke his sleep. Alert, she looked around and noticed that the cries for help were coming from someone who was drowning in the water.
It was a child. He quickly entered the river and tried to save her. After pulling the body, Jack managed to get it to a bench, saving the child’s life.
But this feat was not isolated, as a few weeks later, this brave dog rescued another person who was swimming and began to drown. And then another and another…
Over the course of a decade, Jack was reported to have saved at least 27 people from death in one of the most dangerous rivers in the area. For his courage, Jack received a silver medal from the Swansea Council and a trophy from the Mayor of London.
Our hero died in October 1937, after ingesting rat poison. In his grave, which is located on the seafront in Swansea near St. Helen Rugby Ground, a monument to remember the courage and honor of this brave little dog.
In 2000, Jack was named Dog of the Century by associations that train domestic dogs in aquatic rescue techniques.
bamse
Bamse was a dog of the St. Bernard breed, which during World War II became one of the symbols of freedom in Norway.
The story of this animal begins in Oslo, when it was bought by the captain of the Norwegian ship Thorodd. Hafto, the captain, took Bamse on the boat, which is where his adventure begins.
At the start of World War II, Thorodd was recruited by the Royal Norwegian Navy as a coastal patrol ship. After the Nazi invasion of Norway in April 1940, the boat was in combat against the Germans and was transporting prisoners of war.
Bamse was marked in history because during his stay on Thorodd, he raised the morale of the crew. It is said that, during battles, he would stand in the gun tower and that he even wore a metal helmet custom-made by the crew.
His acts of heroism include hundreds of stories like the attack on a man who had tried to kill a young captain. But also, Bamse was a great mediator and they say he could sometimes smooth over any differences that might arise between crew members.
They say that during fights and arguments, Bamse would put his paws on the shoulders of his companions, thus calming the spirits.
Bamse died in July 1944 in the town of Montrose from heart failure. He was buried with military honors and every ten years the Royal Norwegian Navy holds a memorial service. In the same city, a statue was erected for him.
After his death, he was awarded the Norges Hundeorden posthumously for his service in the war and in 2006 was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for bravery and devotion to duty.
In that sense, he is the only WWII animal to have received this honor. Books have been written chronicling his life and he is always fondly remembered in Norway.
