A heroic dog saved his owner from a burglary, retrieved the stolen items from thieves, and rescued two pet cats from a house fire.
Karen Crosby, from Wavertree, said her Alaskan Malamute Storm stepped in to protect her when burglars entered her home in 2019 in the early hours. The 64-year-old said Storm stopped the thieves from getting upstairs to where she was sleeping.
The 12-year-old dog then chased the thieves out, which forced them to drop their stolen stash, and alerted a passer-by who called the police. Karen said police later told her Storm may have saved her from serious injury.
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Storm was called into action again in May this year when a neighbour contacted Karen, who was out, to say her home was on fire with all of her pets trapped inside. The brave dog saved the lives of two of Karen's cats by pushing them out of a window as the house filled with smoke, then calmly waited by the kitchen door to be rescued himself.
One police officer described hero Storm as being "just as good as a trained police dog". Storm was given the prestigious award on the 125th anniversary of the Blue Cross, an animal welfare charity specialised in helping sick, injured and homeless pets.
The lifesaving dog was chosen from 650 nominations of pets considered 'heroes' by their owners.
Owner Karen said: "Storm is a hero to me for everything he has done and continues to do. I'm over the moon that he has won the Blue Cross medal. It was amazing news. I never expected he would win and I'm so proud of him.”
Storm's day-to-day life is not as dramatic, but of vital importance to Karen and her partner, Phil, 69, also retired, who suffered two brain injuries and developed epilepsy and vascular dementia. Before moving into care, Phil relied on Storm's services to help him with his walking and gently nudge him if he wasn’t walking in a straight line.
Storm still does this for Karen, who has degenerative disc disease, little sensation in her left leg, visual field problems and tinnitus. He alerts her to the telephone and the doorbell and helps her cross the road.
He also offers further support for her fibromyalgia and asthma, sensing if an attack is imminent and providing comfort and support for Karen.
Karen said: "The fire brigade could not believe how Storm saved two of my cats and trusted that help would soon arrive. The police were so impressed they personally took him down the road to his vet to check hadn’t inhaled the smoke or been harmed.
"The officer would not leave his side and said he was as good as a trained police dog.”
Chris Burghes, Blue Cross chief executive, on choosing this years winner, said: "We were particularly moved by the number of pets who really do help their owners’ mental health, some even preventing their owners from taking their own lives.
"It was a very close call, but Storm came out on top, he is an amazing pet that has been such a valued member of the family when they have gone through so much. Congratulations to him and each and every pet who supports their owners in both day-to-day life and by doing incredible acts like Storm.”
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