Monday, January 03, 2005

The Dog That Saved the Child from the Tsunami

I love it when canine news is reported in the human media. I'd already heard about this via barknet but thought that it was worth reporting for my human readers.

Family dog saves boy from waves

"While water lapped at Sangeeta's (the mom's) heels as she rushed up the hill, the scruffy yellow dog named Selvakumar (the dog) ducked into the hut after Dinakaran (the boy). Nipping and nudging, he did everything in his canine power to get the boy up the hill.
...
"Selvakumar looks pretty much like every other dog in the village. He hardly ever barks and lets the three boys climb all over him and pull his tail without protest. At night, he joins the rest of the family and sleeps among them, no matter how may times they throw him out.

"Most days, the dog escorts Dinakaran to and from school, spending the rest of the day playing with the other two boys, or begging for food. Sangeeta's brother-in-law gave her the puppy, following the birth of her second son. When the brother-in-law died in an accident two years ago, they changed the dog's name to his.
...
"Dinakaran credits the dog with saving his life. "That dog grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," the boy said from under some trees at Pondicherry University, where the family is waiting for relief. "He dragged me out."

"Sangeeta said she wept with joy when she saw her son walking up to her, with Selvakumar by his side.
...
"That dog is my God," said Sangeeta -- with Dinakaran sitting on the ground at her feet and Selvakumar sleeping on the warm asphalt next to him."



Delvakumar the dog takes a well earned nap after rescuing 7-year-old Dinakaran, sitting behind him.


posted by Sam the black GSD @ 3:46 PM