Dog Saves Boy From Drowning in River

In case you had any reason to doubt that dogs truly are man’s best friend, you’ve got to read this story.

As heavy rains cause rivers to rise in the Midwest, one little boy in Nebraska was pulled from a raging river by the family dog.

Ordinarily, Tony Bailey can swim in the Platte River, but the currents have gotten a lot stronger lately. When he jumped in at his usual spot, but couldn’t get back to shore, his dog Jake, a 4 year-old Labrador retriever (not pictured), jumped in to save him. Apparently Jake understood Tony’s cries for help, swam out to him and towed the boy (who’d gone under water several times) to safety.

“I was saying, ‘Help, help,’ and I saw him jump in, and then my head went under, and when I came up, he was right here by me,” Tony said in this article.

Tony’s mom was in disbelief because, up until the rescue, she hadn’t thought Jake was very smart.

“He doesn’t listen. He doesn’t mind,” Tony’s mom said.

“You think you know your dog so well, but then he does something like this,” said Diane Bailey. “He’s got a big heart and he does have a brain in there.”

A similar story happened in Colorado in 2006, when a yellow lab pulled a 9 year-old from the Roaring Fork River after he fell out of a raft. The dog just happened to be walking by his 13 year-old owner, saw the boy struggling, swam out and pulled him to shore by his life jacket.

It just goes to show you that dogs are smarter than they look (and act sometimes). They provide us with companionship, love, and sometimes even save our lives. Dogs truly are man’s best friends.

Shop our great selection of dog toys, beds, and gear - all at savings of 35 - 70% off. Because they’re worth it.