A Heroic Rescue

Shark Attack!! Have you ever seen the movie Jaws? It was released when I was in middle school; I remember the music, where I was sitting in the theater (I saw it in Key West, Florida) and how I wouldn't go into the water for quite some after seeing the movie. Every little detail came back to me tonight when I read the blurb in Parade Magazine about how a man dove into the water off a pier in Islamorada, Florida to attack the shark that had snatched his dog!!!!

That's right the man attacked the shark.

The man punched the shark until it loosened it's bite. Jake, the rat terrier (little dog), suffered many puncture wounds, but nothing life threatening. Had Jake's guardian not acted instinctively and immediately, there would have been a much different ending -- Jake would have been lunch.

Jake's person, Greg LeNoir, is a real life hero. Some times heroes accomplish death-defying rescues like pulling little dogs from the steel jaws of five foot long sharks. Other times, they do things that are not quite so dramatic -- like cleaning kennels, feeding dogs and cats and telling them how special they are. I spent Christmas at home. but, many Washington Animal Rescue League staff members were at the shelter, cleaning dog dens and cat condos, telling Ziggy and Chrissie that they are definitely going to get another chance at forever homes and waving the string with the feather in front of Spanky's paw -- giving him just enough time to get it (He loves that game). The kennel staff made sure that each of the dogs and cats got a bowl of food, with a little extra, clean water and a comfy bed.

Thank you animal heroes near and far.