Amazing life-saving animals from dog that could be a lifeguard to rat who can find bombs

Would you expect your pet to save you if your house was on fire, or alert you if your blood sugar was low? Here, we give thanks to the rats, dogs, donkeys and more that, in some cases, put their own lives on the line to save their human companions. 

Soul-saving squawks: meet the parrot who helped save a family from a house fire 

Can a parrot do the job of a fire alarm? Well, this one can! In December 1999, Charlie, the grey parrot, managed to alert Patricia Tunnicliffe to the fact that her house was going up in flames. Faulty wiring of Christmas lights sparked a blaze that quickly engulfed the living room. 

Recognizing the danger, the three-year-old parrot squawked loudly enough to wake Ms Tunnicliffe, who managed to collect all five of her children and get them out of the house safe and unharmed. 

Despite Charlie’s heroic efforts, the flames did claim one victim: Charlie himself. Due to the severity of the fire, it would not have been safe for Ms Tunnicliffe to re-enter the house to save him. However, his bravery will always be remembered as he holds the Guinness World Records title for the most lives saved by a parrot. 

The tale of Sharwood and his life-saving blood donations 

Meet Sharwood, the Gordon Setter who has helped give hundreds of dogs another chance at life.  

With his supportive owner Sue Mitchell (UK) by his side, on 19 July, Sharwood gave blood for the 45th time in his life and earned the Guinness World Records title for the most times to give blood by a dog. 

Sharwood began donating blood in 2017 with Pet Blood Bank UK and is believed to have helped saved the lives of over 180 dogs. His doggy siblings donate too, and between them they’ve saved even more lives.

Sharwood alone has donated an amazing 25.3 kg of blood.

Arrow: the dog who took flight 

On 17 September 2016, Arrow, the German Shepherd and his handler Henry Holsthyzen (both South Africa) went up in the air and jumped from a helicopter that was flying at 6,000 feet (1,828 m). The pair were taking part in an air show demonstration as part of a pioneering programme to seize poachers from the sky. 

Although Arrow is not the first dog to tandem-skydive, he is the first skydiving anti-poaching dog.

Henry says Arrow was a “handful” in his early years, as he had so much energy, but in each task that was assigned to him, his excellence shone through each time. 

The war hero with four paws: meet Bob, the first dog to receive the Dickin Medal 

During a time of uncertainty and chaos, a mixed-breed canine was recognized for his heroic acts on the battlefield.  

One of Bob’s most praiseworthy acts was alerting his infantry unit to the presence of enemy soldiers, which he did by refusing to move forward when sensing hostile troops ahead of him. Bob’s heroic act meant that no soldier lost their lives that day, and no one was captured either. 

On 24 March 1944, Bob received the PDSA Dickin Medal "for constant devotion to duty with special mention of Patrol work at Green Hill [Tunisia], North Africa, while serving with the 6th Battalion Queens Own Royal West Kent Regt". Recognized as the first canine to receive such commendations, he also holds the Guinness World Records title for being the first dog to receive the Dickin Medal. 

The Dickin Medal, which was created in 1943 by Maria Dickin, founder of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). It recognizes animal efforts during military conflict and is the animal equivalent of the British Victoria Cross for human valour. 

Hurricane, the history-making K-9 

As an intruder targeted the White House, Hurricane saved the day, and his bravery earned him a medal and a lifetime of legacy. 

On 9 March 2022, Hurricane, a 13-year-old Belgian Malinois, was recognized as one of the first recipients of the Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal. The award is presented to animals who work with the military and have performed above and beyond what is expected of them, and it aims to provide recognition for animals who have been of extraordinary service to a unit. 

Hurricane served with the US military from 2012 to 2016 alongside his owner, retired Secret Service agent Marshall Mirarchi. In 2014, an intruder entered the grounds of the White House and, with no time to paws, Hurricane bravely protected then-President Barack Obama and his family.  

His honourable acts landed him the Animals in War and Peace Medal, which the ceremony awards between six and eight brave candidates each year, which made Hurricane one of the first. 

The dog with life-saving paws: Jack is man's best friend 

On 11 June 2013, the Guinness World Records title for the fastest time for a dog to retrieve a person from water (25 m) was set by Jack, a black full-blooded Newfoundland. The speedy canine was accompanied by his owner Hans-Joachim Brueckmann (Germany), when they performed their record-breaking attempt on the Kaarster See lake in Kaarst, Germany.  

Jack and Hans achieved the record in 1 minute and 36.812 seconds, and the impressive feat was broadcast on the TV show Guinness World Records - Wir holen den Rekord nach Deutschland.

This impressive pup is a fully trained and certified search and rescue dog who works for the German rescue organization DLRG. 

Gallipoli’s Silent Hero, Murphy the Australian Army Donkey 

Murphy was an Australian Army donkey who was involved in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16, fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied powers during a part of the First World War. 

On 19 May 1997, at the Australian War Memorial, Murphy was awarded the RSPCA Australia Purple Cross award, which is a token that recognizes animal bravery, making him the first donkey to receive the RSPCA Purple Cross. 

Murphy received his training from Private John Simpson and managed to train the donkey to transport injured soldiers on to the beaches where they could safely receive first aid treatment.  

In honour of the pair’s heroic efforts, a statue of Private Simpson and his four-legged friend Murphy was erected outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 

Ronin the hero rat who became a record-breaking landmine detector

African giant pouched rat Ronin completed his training with APOPO, a Belgian nonprofit organization that uses rats for humanitarian purposes such as detecting landmines, explosives, and tuberculosis. 

The organization trains rats like Ronin to sniff out chemicals and other weapons that get abandoned after periods of war. After completing his training, Ronin was deployed and successfully found all the mines in the commune of Sror Aem, Preah Vihear, Cambodia.  

During his deployment period, between August 2021 and February 2025, Ronin discovered 109 landmines and a further 15 pieces of UXO (unexploded ordnance) in Cambodia. The remarkable rat’s efforts mean that Ronin now holds the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat. 

He is often described as being "hardworking but friendly and relaxed." 

From COVID to cancer: the canines with super scent senses 

When you look at your dog, would you ever think they’d be able to diagnose you with an illness? Well, the Medical Detection Dogs (UK) charity has just what the doctor ordered! 

In 2008, the MDD charity was founded in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK, and trained dogs to be able to sniff out 28 different types of diseases and disorders. This amazing achievement was recognized in February 2022, when the charity set their first Guinness World Records title for the most medical conditions detected by dogs (organization).

Through years of training and advancements, the charity has successfully trained its dogs to be able to sniff out a range of conditions, such as malaria, different types of cancer, nut allergies, and most recently, COVID-19. 

On 24 November 2022, the charity set out to smash another record for the most consecutive medical samples identified by dogs. Through the examination of several samples, such as urine, saliva or breath, the canines were instructed to sniff out different diseases such as prostate cancer and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). Five dogs managed to detect 24 samples in a row and now hold a second Guinness World Records title. Bumper, Jodie, Jude, Florin, and Lexi were the talented pups who managed to detect the conditions, and of course, they were rewarded with treats! 

The shortest service dog who is as cute as a cupcake! 

Who said that service dogs had to be a certain size? Cupcake is a female long-haired chihuahua who is owned by Angela Bain (Moorestown, USA).  

On 8 September 2012, Cupcake measured 15.87 cm (6.25 in) tall, making her the Guinness World Records title holder of the shortest service dog.  

Orion’s remarkable rottweiler rescue 

This is the story of how bark turned to bravery. During the night of 15-16 December 1999, the Vargas tragedy in Venezuela saw torrential rain savage the country, resulting in debris flowing into the Vargas State. Such devastation saw thousands of civilians lose their lives, which was over 10% of the state’s total population.  

Orion, the rottweiler, repeatedly jumped into the water to save people, and it was reported that 37 people were rescued by the dog as he safely brought them back to shore. It is possible that Orion saved more people, but they may not have been counted due to the chaos of the floods. A vast range of individuals were saved, ranging from an eight-year-old girl to an 80-year-old man.  

On 26 February 2000, Orion was recognized for his efforts and received several medals and plaques from the Venezuelan government. He also holds the Guinness World Records title for the most humans rescued by a dog in 24 hours.