Post by patricia on Jan 4, 2006 11:24:57 GMT -5
Shannon, an 8-year old Border-collie-golden retriever mix from Washington, Missouri, may not be a purebred collie like Lassie,but to her owners, Ted and Peggy Mandry, Shannon is a pure hero.
The Mandrys adopted Shannon after she was delievered from a unwanted litter, Ted says, "My wife, being the sucker for such things, volunteered to take one of the puppies." Little did Ted knowjust how lucky he was for that. In June 2004, Ted was supposed to be moving hay while Peggy visited a neighbor. No one was aware that Ted had left the hayfield to take vegetative trash to a nearby gully. While unloading the debris, his tractor slipped out of park, caught his leg in the loader, plummeted into the gully, and became impaled into the bank-with Ted still attached. Ted whistled and called for help for 2 hours,but no one came. Thankfully, his canine best friend either heard his distant calls or sensed that he was in danger.
When Ted's wife returned, Shannon's afffectionate, easy going personality was shockingly altered. Shannon kept scratching at the door and trying to get out, and, the more Peggy tried to calm her down,the more persistant she became. Peggy strapped Shannon to her leash and took her outside, where Shannon seized control and dragged Peggy directly where Ted was trapped.
Shannon was in the house when the emergency personnnel took Ted away, so she ran every day to check the gully until Ted came home. Shannon previously showed no instincts of a recue dog. She was more the type would bark out a warning and retreat to a safe area. Shannon's reaction in this caes may be attributed to a special bond between owner and pet. "Shannon always seems to look at me as her "alpha dog", or leader," Ted says, "and she must have felt the urge to step up when I was in crisis."
Shannon's heroics caught public and media attention. A local grade school selected Shannon as its "hero dog", local newspapers and T.V. stations covered the incident, and Shannon received the 23rd annual National Hero Dog award from the SPCA, Los Angeles. Along with an assortment of goodies, Shannnon was treated to a trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony. It was her first trip away from the farm,besides visits to the vet, and her first plane trip. Ted and Peggy made sure she could fly with them in the cabin.
Since her trip, Shannnon's life has returned to its low-key norm. Like Lassie, Shannon is a farm dog though and though,so much so that she did not want to stop running around outside when she got home. "It was like she had to make up for lost time," Ted recalls.
Shannon was also a great companion, but, Ted says he can now attest to the unexpected benefits of having pets. "Don't expect Lassie, " Ted cautions, then adds, "but you never know..."
Great story!! A quit note please keep in your prayers the trapped coal miners in W.Va. and their families in your prayers.
The Mandrys adopted Shannon after she was delievered from a unwanted litter, Ted says, "My wife, being the sucker for such things, volunteered to take one of the puppies." Little did Ted knowjust how lucky he was for that. In June 2004, Ted was supposed to be moving hay while Peggy visited a neighbor. No one was aware that Ted had left the hayfield to take vegetative trash to a nearby gully. While unloading the debris, his tractor slipped out of park, caught his leg in the loader, plummeted into the gully, and became impaled into the bank-with Ted still attached. Ted whistled and called for help for 2 hours,but no one came. Thankfully, his canine best friend either heard his distant calls or sensed that he was in danger.
When Ted's wife returned, Shannon's afffectionate, easy going personality was shockingly altered. Shannon kept scratching at the door and trying to get out, and, the more Peggy tried to calm her down,the more persistant she became. Peggy strapped Shannon to her leash and took her outside, where Shannon seized control and dragged Peggy directly where Ted was trapped.
Shannon was in the house when the emergency personnnel took Ted away, so she ran every day to check the gully until Ted came home. Shannon previously showed no instincts of a recue dog. She was more the type would bark out a warning and retreat to a safe area. Shannon's reaction in this caes may be attributed to a special bond between owner and pet. "Shannon always seems to look at me as her "alpha dog", or leader," Ted says, "and she must have felt the urge to step up when I was in crisis."
Shannon's heroics caught public and media attention. A local grade school selected Shannon as its "hero dog", local newspapers and T.V. stations covered the incident, and Shannon received the 23rd annual National Hero Dog award from the SPCA, Los Angeles. Along with an assortment of goodies, Shannnon was treated to a trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony. It was her first trip away from the farm,besides visits to the vet, and her first plane trip. Ted and Peggy made sure she could fly with them in the cabin.
Since her trip, Shannnon's life has returned to its low-key norm. Like Lassie, Shannon is a farm dog though and though,so much so that she did not want to stop running around outside when she got home. "It was like she had to make up for lost time," Ted recalls.
Shannon was also a great companion, but, Ted says he can now attest to the unexpected benefits of having pets. "Don't expect Lassie, " Ted cautions, then adds, "but you never know..."
Great story!! A quit note please keep in your prayers the trapped coal miners in W.Va. and their families in your prayers.
