A loyal Akita dog named ‘Hero’ saves owner trapped for days, braving cold and coyotes until help arrives

In Taber, Alberta, Hero, an Akita dog, lives true to his name by saving his owner’s life.

Hero protected his owner from cold weather, fought off coyotes, and alerted others to his owner’s whereabouts.

He did this when he was stuck in a muddy ditch for days in freezing temperatures. The incident started when Curtis Dahl was walking near the sugar factory in Taber.

Hero approached and bit Dahl’s dog around the neck. Dahl struggled with Hero for about ten minutes to free his dog, resulting in him needing stitches on his finger afterward.

After calling the police and animal services to file a complaint, Curtis Dahl alerted them about Hero.

When the officers arrived, they found the Akita exhausted near some grass.

Suddenly, they heard a cry for help. Rushing to the scene, they discovered a 61-year-old man in a ditch, unable to move and shivering.

He revealed he had been stuck there for two days while Hero guarded him.

The man went to the hospital, and Hero went to Taber Lost Paws Society, a shelter for dogs in crisis.

Alana McPhee, the acting president, said they had an employee who was the man’s neighbor and knew he had another Akita dog named Tora.

Two days after going missing, Tora, the other Akita was found in her owner’s yard with a disabled leg.

It turned out that screws and rods in her leg from a previous injury had come loose.

It’s believed she might have been traveling between her owner’s location and home.

Although she had no bite or puncture marks, it is also believed that she might fight off coyotes, too.

After hearing the whole story, the man whose dog was attacked by the Akita understood and appreciated Hero’s bravery in saving his owner.

“I think [Hero] thought my dog was a threat,” he said. “But once I thought about it, I knew why this dog did what he did.”

He later received CAD$3,000 in compensation for his and his dog’s medical expenses through a GoFundMe campaign organized by the Lost Paws Society.

“(Hero) was being protective. That dog probably had not eaten for several days. He was incredibly stressed and, obviously, powerless to help his owner. He had to fight off coyotes,” McPhee said.

Hero and Tora’s owner was rescued and brought to Chinook Regional Hospital in the nearby city of Lethbridge, Alberta.

The reason behind dog’s loyalty

Dr. Sara Ochoa, a consultant for DogLab, explains that most dogs will love you unconditionally. Even if you’re late feeding them or come home late, their love remains constant.

She also said that dogs are eager to please their owners, which is why they’re often obedient.

This loyalty and desire to please are what makes us perceive dogs as loyal companions, and rightfully so.

Dogs descended from wolves and are naturally inclined towards pack behavior. After domestication, humans became their pack, Southern Living noted.

When you train your dog, you’ll notice they aim to please you, their pack leader, just like wild wolves strive to please their alpha.

“I do find that this stems from their genetics,” says Dr. Ochoa. “If you are part of their pack, then they will help take care of their group members.”

Dogs were bred to believe that being loyal to their leader ensures survival, expecting to be cared for with food, affection, and shelter.

Many owners believe that their dog’s unconditional love stems from being adopted or rescued from poor conditions.

However, this perception might be more of a human trait projected onto them.

“I think most dogs are very excited and grateful that they are now part of a pack and seem like they are more loyal because they were adopted but I think that they would be just as loyal if you got them as a puppy vs. rescued later in life,” says Dr. Ochoa.

Dogs’ loyalty stems from a survival instinct ingrained in their genes.

Their pack now includes a human nuclear family or household, and they naturally gravitate towards this unit, understanding that living together as a pack is key to success.

You can watch the story of the Akita, Hero, the dog who protected its trapped owner from coyotes, below:

You can also help Hero, Tora, and Jack pay for vet care through GoFundMe.