A curly tail and uncommon valor

The Pug Life Medal of Valor is a prize reserved for only the bravest and most heroic among us. Only those who save a life, donate large sums of money to the ministry, or are able to board a plane alongside people in Muslim garb without the slightest hint of nervousness are even considered. And of those, only a select few are deemed worthy of the medal, the highest honor that the ministry bestows to non-family members. (The ministry has no rules against nepotism, as evidenced by my brother Wendell's recent Scholar of the Year award.)


Today, my flock, I am proud to introduce to you a canine who has passed all the tests, proving himself worthy of our respect and admiration. Today, I present the Medal of Valor to the esteemed Kook the Pug. Kook's tale of heroism began in the wee hours of the morning in Denver, Colo. As an apartment fire raged, fed by the mile-high air, the complex's residents slept. All except young Kook. The 8-month-old knew something was terribly wrong. And confined as he was in his cage, he did the only thing he could do: He raised a ruckus. The pug sounded the alarm and rattled his cage until, at around 4 a.m., his human took notice and awoke from his slumber to find the north side of the building engulfed in flames. Illustrating a fundamental difference between humans and dogs, Kook's caretaker said his first reaction was to ensure the safety of a $500 bonus check in his apartment. Once that task was taken care of, he went to warn his neighbors. 


Because of Kook's heroism, nobody was injured in the blaze. The fire was contained within one unit of the building, where the owner was away on vacation, and the complex's other residents were able to safely return to their homes. 


"Kook is a real hero, as far as I'm concerned," said caretaker Patrick Vigil. I agree. Now why not go spend part of that bonus check on a big stick of rawhide for the pup?

Best Buddy

I hereby present the coveted Pug Life Medal of Valor to Buddy the German Shepherd, who saved his human caretaker's life by calling 911 when the man had a seizure. And police said this wasn't the first time the trained assistance dog had been there for Joe Stalnaker. Buddy had previously made two other 911 calls when Stalnaker was having seizures.

On a recording of the 911 call, Buddy is heard whimpering and barking after the dispatcher in Scottsdale, Ariz., answers and repeatedly asks if the caller needs help. "Hello, this is 911. Hello ... Can you hear me? Is there somebody there you can give the phone to?" says the dispatcher. Despite the dispatcher's lack of canine language training, Buddy's call was successful. Stalnaker's address was flagged in Scottsdale's system with a notification that the 18-month-old Buddy could call 911 when the owner was incapacitated.

For his quick thinking, heroism and superior phone skills, Buddy is deserving of this prestigious medal -- the ministry's highest civilian honor. A grateful canine nation thanks you, Buddy. Long may you wag.

Mugsy honors heroes

It has been a long time since I last had reason to award the ministry's highest human honor, the Pug Life Medal of Valor. But the recent actions of two men have reaffirmed my faith in a small pocket of humankind. Let the record show that a grateful canine nation honors the bravery of these two men.

RANDY EARL: When the West Virginian's small boat capsized as he was fishing with his dog Lacy, a black spaniel mix, he stayed in the 50-degree water with his life jacket while making sure Lacy was OK. "I put the dog on top of the boat," the 53-year-old said. When a state trooper arrived to rescue him, Earl asked the trooper to save the dog first.

STEPHEN (ODIE) ODOM: The Louisiana firefighter rescued two tiny terriers from a smoke-filled room during a fire last Friday. After noticing that one was not breathing, Odom removed his face mask and placed the dog's head inside so the oxygen could blow in its face. He then used his CPR training, including mouth-to-snout resuscitation, to revive the dog. Five minutes later, the dog began looking around and was returned to the owner of the house. Fire officials said they didn't know the dog's name. "We could just call it 'Lucky,"' said one official.

If any among you should happen upon these two brave men, I urge you to give them a pat on the back, or a rub on the belly. They embody the spirit of Pug Life Ministries. Thank you, Randy and Stephen. Copious amounts of rawhide surely await you both in heaven.