In the 1930s, Edward Harris lived near a river in Wales with his black Labrador named Sugar. They liked to hike along the river when the weather was good, and one day, they saw a young boy struggling in the water. He was drowning. Without a word from Edward, Sugar jumped into the river, swam out to the boy, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and pulled him to shore. No one but Edward and the young boy witnessed this.
Edward was amazed at the dog’s ability to recognize the danger and take swift and decisive action. The young boy retold this story to anyone who would listen. But because there were no witnesses other than Edward, she believed him.
This wasn’t the only time Sugar played the hero. A few weeks later, Sugar encountered another drowning swimmer and rescued him similarly. This time, there were witnesses, so the fantastic rescue could not be denied or dismissed.
Sugar was reportedly saved at least 27 people over 12 years from Wales’s dangerous waters.
Towards the end of Sugar’s life, the City Council awarded him a silver collar and a Bravest Dog plaque. The mayor of London presented him with a silver cup. And they even erected a statue of this unique black Labrador.
Edward swears he never trained Sugar to do anything like that. This was something she felt compelled to do all on her own.
That was over 80 years ago, and the locals still talk about Sugar’s heroics. Even though few, if any, dogs have done so many amazing things, there is something special in knowing they could.
Credits: Listverse
