Dogs are incredible creatures that have withstood adversity and unimaginably bleak circumstances despite all the odds. Below are some of our favorite stories that have been published about canines that have inexplicably survived through terrifying situations.
Lazarus raised from the dead
No one came to adopt the Rottweiler-mix mutt that had survived horrible injuries after being hit by a car. Since the veterinarians at the shelter found the pup riddled with heartworms and injuries, they decided it would be most humane to put him out of his misery; the dog was scheduled to be euthanized by a fatal injection. The initial shot did not seem to work, as the dog’s heartbeat persisted in spite of the poison. The veterinarian had to give the pup a full second dose of the injection, but against all odds the dog survived, and was discovered to have FULLY recovered the next morning. A car crash, fatal heartworms, two lethal injections, and being pronounced dead multiple times, won the dog his new name: Lazarus, after the man Jesus raised from the dead.
Spanish Star survives burial and bullets
Being buried alive or shot repeatedly would be torturous, but to experience them both? A courageous stray dog near the Spanish city of Malta was recently found by police officers. All but her face was buried in mound of dirt, and once rescued, was found to have numerous pellet gun wounds to her head. Eventually a total of 40 bullets were removed from her skull before the miracle dog renamed Star was able to recover.
Mason the tornado tamer
During a wicked bout of tornadoes, a family in North Smithfield, Alabama recently lost most of their home, and their beloved dog Mason. They searched for weeks, and finding no sign of the body, acknowledged that he must have been killed in the storm. Nearly three weeks later, the family found Mason wagging his tail on their porch one morning, a pile of bones and nearly starved to death. The hardy dog had been carried away by the storm, and with two broken front legs, had spent almost a month dragging himself back to the safety of his home. With scarce food, broken legs and miles to trek, Mason certainly was a miracle dog!
Sammy survives the fall
A 13 year old Boston Terrier named Sammy was running around his Bridgeway Towers apartment in Sacramento one December afternoon in 2014. The dog was partially blind, and happened to get too close to the balcony railing, causing him to slip underneath the bar. The Boston Terrier fell a full 15 stories into a hot tub below. The tiny jacuzzi provided enough cushion for the small dog’s fall to be softened and miraculously saved his life.
Surviving on a block of ice
Baltic the mutt was well-named after surviving abandonment on the Baltic Sea. Standing with freezing paws on a floating block of ice, the pup was rescued some 15 miles off the coast of Poland by a passing ship. The dog lived many days in the harsh frozen temperatures of January without companion or food, and managed to make it through.
Buck the lucky Lab
After a sneaky escape from his family’s home in the Bay Area of California, a black Labrador named Buck found himself lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains. For a grand total of 40 days and 40 nights, Buck was able to survive in the wild. He was found accidentally by a neighbor of his pet-parents who happened upon him while on a hike, and was able to reunite Buck with his family.
Champ beats the bullet
In a deadly home invasion in Orange County, Champ the dog was shot 5 times and was believed to be dead when help came to the crime scene. Miraculously, the dog survived and when fully healed went on to be adopted by a loving family.
Other stories
Canines have survived numerous unthinkable disasters, like one pup who was run over by a train twice before he was rescued, or a dog named Oscar who lived after plummeting down a 120-foot cliff in Dorset England. There is an abundance of canine fighters who have managed impressive recoveries after the direst of circumstances. Time and again, these determined creatures have won over our admiration and respect!
