Recently, I read an amazing and heart-warming story of an Alaskan husky. You don’t have to be a dog-lover to appreciate this dog’s dedication to service.

Amelia Milling, a 21-year-old deaf student, was on a three-day solo trek in the Alaskan wilderness. She took a brutal 600-foot fall. When she finally came to a crashing halt, she was dazed and bleeding. At that moment, Nanook, an Alaskan husky appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Nanook stayed with Amelia that night. The next day he guided her seven miles over rocky, dangerous terrain. On the way, Amelia fell into a freezing, fast-flowing river. Nanook jumped in, grabbed her backpack in his teeth, and pulled her to safety.

Eventually, a rescue helicopter spotted Amelia and Nanook. She was airlifted to a medical facility. Alaskan state troopers found Nanook’s address on his collar tag. When they returned Nanook to his owner, the man was shocked.

Amelia was only one of several people Nanook had rescued, including a child who’d fallen into the same river Amelia had.

Nanook had never received any rescue training. Apparently it was just embedded in his DNA to be of service to humans.

Spirit

You would do well to follow in the footsteps of your animals. They are a shining light in the darkness that often descends upon your world. Service truly gives their lives meaning.

And service can also give your lives meaning. That’s why you are here. You cannot do a kindness to another being without it being returned to you.

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Here’s a touching example of a service dog protecting his owner in life-threatening circumstances.

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