Animals have an amazing way of coming into our lives at unexpected times and changing everything for the better. In celebration of National Pet Day we wanted to showcase a few stories that highlight the amazing connection between humans and animals.
Dean and Nala:
Dean Nicholson, who was tired of his nine-to-five job as a welder, left Dunbar, Scotland on September 1st with the ambition to cycle the world. Three months and 9 countries later, as he was coming up to the Bosnia-Montenegro border, he heard the faint cried of a little kitten. Noticing she was trying to get his attention he stopped to pet her. When he got up to leave however, he realized she was following him. “I wasn’t going to take her with me at first, but I soon fell in love with her and I couldn’t bring myself to leave her there alone.” Dean said. So he made some space for her on his bike and she quickly became the perfect travel buddy.
“We’ve been inseparable now for the past four months. I named her Nala and got her a collar as well as a passport so she could travel with me.”
Dean started a Go Fund Me page to pay for her vet bills, continue travelling the world with her and bring her back home to the UK safely.
They've been through a few ups and downs together, including a scare when Nala was faced with a stomach issue. But his priorities completely changed since then and Nala’s comfort always came first. “Before I was really wanting to just get across the world, now I’m not really bothered by how long it takes. Just a nice, gentle pace watching her enjoy it, It’s basically her trip!”
( The dodo "
Guy Biking Across The World Picks Up A Stray Kitten" ) March 31st
Baby the Pit Bull:
When a fire started in Rhonda and her sister Evelyn's home, their 10 year old pitbull, Baby, jumped into action. The two sisters were sleeping at the time and Baby began barking and pounced on them until they woke up.
“If Baby hadn’t woken Evelyn up, I don’t think either one of us would have come out of it.” Said Rhonda. The sisters managed to run out but five dogs were still stuck inside the house, so Baby rushed back inside and rescued them too!
“There was one hiding underneath the bed,” said family member Charles Land, “Baby actually went in there, grabbed her by the neck and drug her outside.”
Despite losing everything, the family says the pit bull is keeping them hopeful.
( Huffington Post "Baby, 10-Year-Old Pit Bull, Saves Family And Its Dogs From Fire" 02/14/2013 )
Gorilla protects boy who falls in zoo enclosure:
Levan, a young boy, fell into the gorilla’s zoo enclosure at the Jersey Zoo, fracturing his skull and breaking limbs. Jambo, a silverback gorilla, immediately came to his aid.
The silverback stood firmly next to the young boy and even stroked his back in comfort, protecting the boy from danger. When Levan woke up and began to cry, Jambo lead his entire troop away so human rescuers could reach the boy.
How amazing is that?
Stories like these can make us rethink our relationship with animals.Though often mistreated or overlooked as inferior, they have even changed the course of human history.
( Willis, Amy "Boy saved by huge gorilla 30 years ago reveals how incident shaped his life" 21 Jan 2016 )
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