Sadly, there is no real chance of finding the amazing dog that risked its own life to haul an badly injured dog to safety. The event actually happened in March. And unfortunately the injured dog died.
Like many/most countries, Chile isn’t an easy place to be a dog. It’s estimated there are 220,000 stray dogs in the Santingo area alone. Earlier this month, Chilean authorities raided the Benjamin Vinuña Mackenna Animal Protection Society where disease is rampant and animals are being killed in huge numbers instead of sheltered and adopted out. This organization was established in 1915 and reportedly is representative of the conditions in most shleters in Chile.
Here’s an interesting gallery of dogs in Chile.
You can also see the video and read a translation of the news commentary.
Sad ending! Any typos are c ourtisy of
“””””””””” Trinka Just can’t find good office managers these days.
Brooke
Isn’t there any way to find the dog that risked its life? Please? I’d really like to help it somehow, thanks, Ginger
Thanks for the update. I really appreciate your efforts to keep us posted.
Cat, Chaps and Emma
You’re very welcome. I wish it were happier news.
Ginger, I have been obsessed with this hero dog since I first saw the video last week. I cannot tell you how many Chilean officials I have emailed about it. And I believe the AP report was not up to par because they failed to find and interview the workman (I’m guessing that he was highway maintenance) who appears in the last frames of the video. He was the last man to see this wonderful animal. Maybe he could give just a clue. Anything! I am so afraid that the dog was picked up by the brutal animal facility that killed so many animals and is under investigation now in Santiago.
Hi Marilyn, I know exactly how you feel. I cried when I saw the video and called several news organizations, and talked to a local humane society office to see if HSUS could find out anything. They said that they hoped people in Chile were trying to find the dog. If only we spoke Spanish, to see if we could find out who the workman was. If it had happened anywhere in the states I would’ve driven right to the site with food to try and rescue both/either of those poor dogs. That hero dog is truly amazing and deserves better in life. I wish we could do more for that one dog, in spite of all of our donations to help animal causes here at home. I wish we could form a task force to go find him based on the video! Thank you everyone for caring; that is some comfort…
Here is a link with a little more info, Jorge Rivas, the operations manager for Vespucio Norte Highway spoke about the dog and that they tried to find him.
http://www.ohmidog.com/2008/12/10/dog-saves-dog-update-one-died-one-vanished/
I wish we could do more, especially in light of the raid of the animal protection place there.
Ginger
People really suck! How can you hit a dog and keep on driving. I think I would rather wreck than hit a dog with my truck. Ginger, it’s really awesome that there are people like you trying to find the rescue dog and do something for him or her. There should be more people like you out there in the world!
It is so sad that no one tried to help. The person that hit the dog should have.
(Note from PetProject: just wanted to say, that you should always research before sending money to someone, but a quick search of GuideStar can give you information on Vanessa’s non-profit)
The search for the HERO DOG does not need to end! I am an independent filmmaker (check out our non-profit at http://www.21paradigm.com). I am inspired to go to Santiago to make a documentary about this incredible dog. Filming the location, homeless dogs, and interviewing the people who witnessed this or have a connection to it could result in us finding him.
You can help in the following ways: By donating and/or asking your friends and family to donate funds needed for travel and production expenses (I am trying to raise an initial US$25,000). Also PLEASE help spread the word that the film project (and search once we get there) is underway. If enough donate even just ten dollars, we can honor this amazing dog by making him the messenger and mascot with which to bridge the gap between animals and humans for decades to come. Please help me. I want to do everything I can to find him and to improve the lives of abandoned dogs in Chile. You can contact me at vschulz@gmail.com.
Thank you to all of you for caring so much and for recognizing the enormity of this incident.
Hi Vanessa, it’s Ginger, are you or anyone else still interested in looking for the dog? I know MM was also trying to get the discovery channel to send a crew to Santiago. There are a couple other web sites that have comments, I will post links to them in next email.
Vanessa had left this comment on the wrong post, so I’m moving it here.
Sarah
UPDATE: Apparently the fundraiser has been canceled and moved to Bend, OR.
Dear Readers,
In December I posted a comment about my goal to make a documentary about the thousands of homeless street dogs in Chile, inspired by the “Hero Dog” who pulled his canine friend from a busy highway in Santiago. A link to the video is on my web site at .
The project is progressing and I plan to leave for Chile February 15. I have a fundraiser on February 1 in Portland. We are looking for donation items for the silent auction and direct donations to the project. Please consider contributing either to the auction or via Paypal at .
The project goals are to launch a spay/neuter program and to find homes for these dogs. We need your help.
Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesistate to contact me for more information – vanessa@21paradigm.com
For the dogs,
Vanessa Schulz
A news article about “Lost Dogs” is posted here: http://www.tsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3877&Itemid=66
“Hi Marilyn, I know exactly how you feel. I cried when I saw the video and called several news organizations, and talked to a local humane society office to see if HSUS could find out anything. They said that they hoped people in Chile were trying to find the dog. If only we spoke Spanish, to see if we could find out who the workman was. If it had happened anywhere in the states I would’ve driven right to the site with food to try and rescue both/either of those poor dogs. That hero dog is truly amazing and deserves better in life. I wish we could do more for that one dog, in spite of all of our donations to help animal causes here at home. I wish we could form a task force to go find him based on the video! Thank you everyone for caring; that is some comfort”
HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) is not a true Humane Society. They are a terroist cell, animal rights extremist that are not out for true animal rights. There true intent is stop us from owning pets/having pets, eating animals, agriculture use of animals. They are not out to help and to many unknowing people support them with donations and time and do not realize what they are supporting. I just felt I needed to state this. Sorry for hijacking the post.
I, too, am an animal lover. But the souls of men are eternal and my parimount concern is where we spend eternity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
You’re thinking about PETA.
i think people need to get there priorities right, do you have any idea how many CHILDREN die around the world every day, do you feel urges to help them (i’m not saying that you don’t, just asking)?…sure it’s pretty damn heartwarming and extraordinary to see something like this, but do you have any idea how many stray dogs there are around the world? i think it’s a complete waist of time, this probably happens a lot more often that you’d think both in the k-9 world and the rest animal kingdom in general. as far as wrecking my car to hit avoid an animal, you would rather risk harming yourself and possibly other for a dog, really? (read: darwin – survival of the fittest) i have a dog and love animals in general, but risking a human life, not me.
so much effort put into animals, while the world is crumbling around us, it’s kinda funny.
sometimes you need to step back and look at the big picture….
We who care about animals do have our priorities right. The world’s lack of concern about the welfare of its animals, as well as its children, are aspects of the ‘crumbling’ that is happening around us. The answer isn’t to reduce the effort put into animals, but to increase it, as well as the effort put into children, and any other effort that counteracts the deterioration that is happening in the world.
Actually, the dog who was injured actually did survive!
Yes! I also did hear the dog survived. It would be truely interestsing to have heard some type of follow up story on this. If I had been witness to this miricle I would have without hessitation taken both dogs in. I only pray all those poor dogs are being watched over and spared the suffering I am hearing about.