Patrick Major's kidney disease drove him into a deep suicidal depression. On dialysis for five years, he would lie in bed for days at a time, unable to perform simple activities. Then, Patrick's girlfriend, Sabrina, read about pets helping people deal with emotional stress. Days later, the couple adopted a dachshund who had a penchant for playing catch. They named him Sammy. On days Patrick wanted to burrow in his bed, Sammy demanded he play catch with balls or pieces of paper. Patrick credits Sammy for pulling him out of his depression and more importantly, keeping him alive long enough to receive the greatest gift of all -- a new kidney. Patrick is now healthy and off dialysis. He and Sammy Davis remain inseparable and after all his practice, Sammy has won several major dog competitions.
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The people in the background are Maureen Haskell and Dawn Haskell-Carbone.
Timmy, Tommy, and Kenny Haskell were destined to join their family's business -- the NYFD. When their dad died, Timmy moved back in with his mother, Maureen, and he decided he wanted dog -- a Dalmatian named Blaze. He and Blaze were soul mates. On the morning of 9/11 all three brothers responded to the scene. Timmy and Tommy were in the towers when they fell. Maureen lost two sons. Completely devastated, the family leaned heavily on Blaze, trying to hold onto anything that reminded them of their sons. Blaze's unconditional love helped the family celebrate the lives of their hero sons rather than dwell on the way they died.
Pictured are Maureen Haskell and Dawn Haskell-Carbone with a Dalmation who resembles their beloved Blaze, who passed away in 2006.
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After a serious heart attack, Michael Bosch began to feel lonely and isolated on the Northern California ranch he'd been renting. For companionship, Michael adopted a puppy named Honey. One morning, as Michael and Honey pulled out of the ranch's two-mile driveway, the sun flashed into Michael's mirror, temporarily blinding him. His SUV veered off the road and left Michael hanging upside-down. Michael threw his five-month-old puppy out the window before spending eight hours slipping in and out of consciousness in the overturned vehicle. In the meantime, Honey ran to alert neighbors and led them back to her injured owner, saving his life in the nick of time.
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When Spc. Justin Rollins got to Iraq, he brought along his love for animals. When he and his unit discovered some newborn abandoned puppies, they took photos of themselves posing with the dogs. That night, Justin spoke with his girlfriend, Brittney Murray, on the phone, telling her about the puppies and the pictures he was sending her. Justin planned to propose over his furlough, only two weeks away. Hours later, Justin and several of his fellow soldiers were killed in action. At Justin's funeral, an Army spokesman asked his family if there was anything the army could do to ease their pain. "Yes," replied Justin's mother. "We want one of the puppies." Justin's fellow soldiers were able to fulfill this seemingly impossible request. Today, Hero helps the Rollins family cope with the loss of their son, and they believe their son's legacy lives on in her.
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Kareem Rosser grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods in the country, exposed to drugs, gangs, and violence every day. At the age of seven, Kareem joined the Work-to-Ride program and began to spend all his time at the horse stables where he met Mecca Harris. Kareem looked up to Mecca, and they formed a tight bond. One night, an intruder broke into Mecca's mom's house, killing her mother and Mecca. Kareem was shattered. The horses were the only thing that eased his pain. Over the past several years, Kareem has become one of the best polo players in the country. "These horses have 100% saved my life," says Kareem. "They show the potential in me, they show what someone from where I come from can do if given the chance."
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Maya Pieters is a little girl who suffers from a genetic condition that only 200 people in the world have. Those who suffer from it usually end up on a feeding tube or in a nursing home, but Maya is thriving thanks to her little dog. When Maya was four, the Pieters' adopted a Jack Russell Terrier. Maya had great difficulty speaking, but miraculously she was suddenly talking with ease the first time she met 'Jack'. From that point on, Maya and Jack were inseparable. Jack has alerted Maya's parents to her frequent seizures and once, Jack braced himself under her head, keeping it from hitting the ground when a seizure caused Maya to collapse. Maya owes her life to Jack, and her family is eternally grateful.
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As the planes hit the twin towers on 9/11, Karolyn and Fred Woolverton were at work in the West Village. Their four year-old daughter, Kate, and her nanny, Florence, were in Battery Park City, two blocks from Ground Zero. They ran through the streets as their neighborhood disintegrated around them. Karolyn dashed downtown to find Kate. Kate was so traumatized by what she saw that when she was finally reunited with her mother, she didn't recognize her. Kate was suffering from PTSD, and her parents, both psychologists, were at a loss. One day, Kate's grandfather suggested they got her a dog who was exactly what Kate needed.
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Pali Boucher is a San Francisco woman who battled drug addiction her whole life. Drugs cost her everything. She was living on the street, always loaded, and estranged from her family. She was in and out of jail when she started visiting a local animal shelter. There she found an old hound dog who was about to be put to sleep. She adopted him, named him Leadbelly, and found in him both unconditional love and someone who relied on her. She couldn't bear the thought of letting this dog down, and Leadbelly inspired her to get clean for the first time in her adult life.
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Rebecca Northern was nine months pregnant when she suddenly fell into a coma. The attack took both the life of her baby and her fertility. In the ensuing months, her marriage fell apart. Devastated and alone, Rebecca fell into a deep depression and gained weight. Rebecca relied heavily on her new dog, Selena, whose unconditional love encouraged her to exercise and get her life back on track. Last August, Rebecca dove into her pool after a workout and hit the pool floor, breaking her neck. No one was home; she was left floating in the pool. Selena dove in and dragged Rebecca to the shallow end. Rebecca was able to struggle to a phone and call for help. Selena saved Rebecca twice, and their bond is unbreakable.
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