I recently heard a story out of Moore, Oklahoma where a tornado demolished an entire
community. The county sheriff’s
department found a mud-covered dog sitting amidst the rubble. At first it was
thought the pooch was just another miracle among all the scattered debris. But later, rescuers realized the dog was
actually guarding the remains of its deceased owner buried under the rubble (Huffington Post, 2013).
This article is an example of how dogs are wired. They are extremely aware of their immediate
surroundings. Dogs hold strictly to their
territory, they are loyal, and they will guard it.
On a
Thursday evening in Prescott, Arizona a three year old little girl, Victoria
Bensch, was playing outside of her home when she unabatedly wandered into the
vast Arizona dessert leading her Queensland Heeler dog “Blue” to look for a ball. On Friday, the next morning at 09:00 am. A Department of Public Safety helicopter crew observed ground movement in the
middle of the dessert. There they
spotted “Blue” circling around the body of the lost child who was lying prone
but alive in a creek-bed three quarters of a mile from her home. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
spokesperson, Dwight D’Evelyn credited Victoria Bensch’s survival to Blue. The family dog who kept the child safe and warm
after spending overnight hours in thirty degree temperatures. Victoria and her dog were returned home and
reunited with her mother and father. The
child was then flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital where she was treated for a
mild case of frostbite on her feet (The Arizona Republic,
2010). A dog can be a guardian, a
protector, and a playmate; dogs are wonderful companions for children and
adults, alike. When the media reports a
dog story like Blue, society responds with applause and takes into serious
consideration the priority of keeping these canine companions a bit closer to
our side. The loyalty and intelligence
of the Queensland Heeler is well documented and well understood.
My
Queensland Heeler, Joey, for instance aims to please. He trots alongside my bicycle when I ride and
prances at my side when we walk, twice a day for hundreds, if not thousands of
miles over the past six years. I
consider this dog inseparable. Joey is
relentless, enduring and extremely loyal.
I believe Victoria Bensch and I would likely agree on the quality of
security we enjoy from our Queensland Heeler friends, also known as the
Australian Cattle Dog.
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