13 Italian Dogs Awarded For Heroism

Pictured in the photo: Kelli, who saved his mistress from a landslide. Thirteen Italian dogs received awards at an annual ceremony in San Rocco di Camogli in northwestern Italy, held to honour dogs that have saved their families and other people. The dogs received rosettes and plaques alongside their proud owners at the 52nd edition of the Premio Internazionale Fedeltà del Cane (International Canine Loyalty Award). Among the canine heroes recognised was Mia, an 18-month-old Golden Retriever who saved her family and other occupants in an apartment block from a gas explosion in Livorno early in the summer of 2013. Other dogs awarded for their bravery were five-year-old rottweiler Arturo, who helped rescue survivors from the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship at Giglio Island off the coast of Tuscany in January 2012, and 14-year-old mongrel Kelli, who saved the life of his mistress by preventing her from being swept away by a landslide that swallowed a road in the Lagaccio district of Genoa in April 2013. Among the four-footed friends who impressed the judges were a three-year-old Alsatian, Pongo, who saved his master by warning a friend who could rescue him from a torrent at Santo Stefano d’Aveto in Liguria, and Wallace, a bloodhound from Osiglia in Liguria, who, thanks to an incredible nose, tracked down his young owner, a two-year boy, when he was lost in the woods near his home in April 2013. Humans also got to glow with pride, as various people who have distinguished themselves for gestures of kindness towards dogs were recognised. The ceremony ended with a prayer for dogs and a blessing for dogs conducted by the parish priest.