Dogs Saved Owner’s Life,
Honored As Heroes In City

They say a dog is a man’s best friend.

Bill Burns’ two dogs are not only his best friends, but also his heroes.

Last Saturday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) gave Butch and Dusty, of Martinsville, Ind., its 24th National Hero Dog Award at the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village in Long Beach.

It was January, and Burns, a diabetic, was out for his nightly walk with his Labrador retrievers Butch and Dusty when he suddenly felt ill and collapsed. Almost instinctively, the two dogs took action to help their owner. Dusty laid on top of him to keep him warm while Butch put Burns’ flashlight in his mouth.

Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Hoffman, who had just finished a traffic stop, noticed a light flashing at a distance in the cornfield and decided to check it out. When he arrived, he found Burns unconscious with his dogs by his side. After Hoffman got him breathing again, Burns was sent to the hospital, where he made a full recovery.

“What it’s underscoring is the human-animal bond,” said spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein. “You’re going to see this kind of behavior from animals that are treated like part of the family.”

As part of their award, Butch and Dusty received a year’s supply of Pedigree food, a goodie bag with treats from Pedigree, a plaque from spcaLA and a gift certificate to the Yard House.

According to Bernstein, other heroic dog stories awarded in the past include a dog that took a bullet for its owner, a dog that jumped on top of its owner during an earthquake to take the hits of falling objects, a dog that pushed its owner out of the way of an oncoming car and a dog that fended off an intruder at a girl’s bedroom window.

—Carla M. Collado

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