There are many cases where pets lay their lives on the line to rescue their owners. This is particularly the case when homesteads are invaded by dangerous intruders intent on causing physical and material harm. They serve as the first lime of defence when they alert us of clear and present dangers. On the other hand, most dog owners would not reciprocate the same. When push comes to shove, their default instinct would be to flee. What would you do when your dog was attacked by a pack of coyotes in the wild on a family outing? Most people would conveniently forget the dog to take the heat and chances of abandonment are high. I remember a story I read in the papers in Britain. A dog had fallen into river Thames and was in danger of drowning. A dedicated individual dived into the river and rescued the dog. The gallant fellow was then honoured in an animal rights ceremony by the then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. I remember the explosive humour put across by the reporter when he insinuated that the smirk on Thatcher's face suggested that she thought of him as having gone bonkers for attempting such a risky feat over a dog. Would you?
