By Sam Mazzota
King Syndicate
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Thank you for discussing war dogs and their service with our armed forces. Can you highlight some non-military canine heroes, too? — Jim F., San Diego
DEAR JIM: Absolutely! Dogs have been performing heroic feats for as long as they’ve been our companions. But only a few have made it into the history books. Here are a few that some readers may not have heard of:
Balto and Togo: In January 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the population of Nome, Alaska. To deliver lifesaving serum, teams of sled dogs relayed 500 miles across ice and snow in treacherous weather. Togo led his dog team across the longest, most dangerous part of the relay. Balto, a young and inexperienced husky, sprinted through fierce winds to reach the town in record time. Today, their journey is commemorated each year with the Iditarod sled race.
Riley: A Golden Retriever search-and-rescuedog who became the face of SAR dogs in the wake of 9/11. At one point, Riley was sent alone in a basket over a 60-foot chasm to search the wreckage on the other side. He was one of many dogs who searched the World Trade Center rubble to recover those lost. Riley died in 2010, suffering various health problems, possibly from his time at Ground Zero.
Buddy: In 1928, this German Shepherd became the first Seeing Eye dog in the U.S. Born in Switzerland, she (yes, Buddy was a she) was trained by Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who ran a kennel that trained military and police dogs. Eustis matched Buddy to Frank Morris, a sight-impaired man from the U.S. Morris championed the use of Seeing Eye dogs, demonstrating Buddy’s skill at leading him across busy Manhattan streets.
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