[Vision2020] Hero Dog Leads Trooper to Fire (w/video)

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the Alaska Dispatch at:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/5010-video-hero-dog-leads-trooper-to-fire

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Hero dog leads trooper to fire
Joshua Saul

Congratulations Buddy: Your name now ranks with canine greats like Lassie
and Rin Tin Tin.

According to an Alaska State Troopers' press release, which follows below,
Buddy ran for help and escorted a lost trooper to a burning shed at
Caswell Lakes before the fire could spread to the family's home. Check out
this video shot by troopers -- it's amazing.

Dog Leads Alaska State Trooper to Fire

(CASWELL LAKES, Alaska) - German Shepherds were bred for intelligence to
protect sheep flocks from predators. They are revered for their loyalty
and renowned to be sensitive to people's emotions. While a collie named
Lassie may be best known as a dog hero for the saying "Lassie, go get
help," Buddy carried on the tradition set by German Shepherds Strongheart
and Rin Tin Tin when he went to get help after his owners' Caswell Lakes
property caught on fire on April 4, 2010.

Like usual, Buddy was beside his human companion, Ben Heinrichs, who was
working in the family's shop. A heater ignited chemicals the 23-year-old
was working with, giving Ben flash burns to his face. The flames quickly
grew as Ben escaped the shop. However, Buddy was briefly entrapped inside
the burning shed when Ben shut the shop door behind him to keep the flames
from spreading. After extinguishing the flames on his body, Ben
immediately realized his dog was still inside the shed and went back in to
let Buddy out. After Buddy exited the shed, Ben said to him, "Buddy, we
need to get help."

Buddy headed for the woods, but not to hide as his owners expected the shy
dog to do. Instead he ran to Caswell Loop Road where he eventually found
help.

Alaska State Trooper Terrence Shanigan was struggling with finding the
fire in the Caswell Lakes area outside Willow, which has approximately 75
miles of back roads. He had just received a frantic phone message calling
for help left by neighbors of the Heinrichs who are members of the local
neighborhood watch program. Shanigan's global positioning device froze up
on him and dispatch was trying to pinpoint the address among the maze of
neighborhood back roads. He was planning on taking a turn that would send
him the long way around the neighborhood when Buddy appeared as a shadow
at the edge of Shanigan's moose lights on his patrol vehicle. When
Shanigan approached the intersection, the dog looked at him, and took off
running down a side road. Shanigan acted on a hunch that the loose dog was
there for a purpose and followed the running dog through three turns that
eventually led the Heinrichs' property. Every once in a while during the
run back to his home, Buddy looked back at Shanigan's car as if to make
sure the trooper was following. By the time Shanigan reached the property,
the work shop was fully engulfed in flames that also lapped precariously
close to the Heinrichs' house.

Shanigan said Buddy stopped at the end of the driveway and turned around
to wait for him. When Shanigan got out of his parked car, the dog ran
around the patrol vehicle and approached him, jumped up and down and
nudged him as he walked up the driveway to the burning building.
Afterwards, Buddy disappeared, presumably into the woods.

Shanigan was then able to verbally guide fire engines from local volunteer
fire departments to the Heinrichs' home. The work shop was destroyed and a
nearby wood shed was badly burned. However, the Heinrichs' home escaped
the flames. Only the trim around the kitchen window was damaged by the
fire.

"Buddy's valiant actions saved Trooper Shanigan valuable time in
responding to the fire," said AST Director Col. Audie Holloway. "Buddy's
pluckiness is a bright spot among an otherwise tragic event for the
Heinrichs family."

Because of this, Buddy will be presented an award at 1:30 p.m. Friday,
April 23 at the Alaska State Troopers Headquarters building at 5700 E.
Tudor Road in Anchorage. Buddy and his owners, Lynnette and Thomas
Heinrich and their son, Ben, will be given the award with much
appreciation from Alaska State Troopers. AST Director Col. Audie Holloway
and Trooper Terrence Shanigan, who works out of the Talkeetna post, will
be present as well.

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Video from Trooper Shanigan's dashcam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT49dGtk9Jw

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Seeya at the CommUNITY Walk, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown