From alerting humans to danger to simply being a companion during difficult times, countless stories have been told of animals who have come to the aid of humans.
Here are five heartwarming tales that prove heroes can sometimes have tails.
1. Lions, the mane heroes
In June 2005, a 12-year-old girl was kidnapped on her way home from school in southwest Ethiopia. The four kidnappers were relocating her when they encountered an unlikely band of rescuers: three lions.
According to BBC News, the lions chased away the kidnappers and stayed with the girl until the police arrived. One of the police officers described how the lions stood guard over the child before returning to the jungle, leaving her unharmed.
Some sceptics believe the lions were about to devour her but the police arrived in the nick of time, while others think the girl’s crying might have made her sound like a lion cub. Nevertheless, the girl had been saved from her kidnappers, who were eventually caught.
2. Sergeant Stubby, the fearless war dog
Sergeant Stubby was the unofficial mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment of the United States. He was assigned to the 26th Yankee Division during World War l, and took part in 17 battles during his 18 months of service with the regiment in France.
One Private J Robert Conroy took a liking to the dog, described as a Boston or bull terrier, and smuggled him on board when the division shipped out for France on the SS Minnesota.
According to the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History, the dog became accustomed to the sounds of rifle and artillery fire and developed the skill of locating wounded men in the trenches. He even once saved the division during an early-morning gas attack by barking and waking them up.
The brave Sergeant Stubby died in 1926 and an animated feature-length film based on his life, “Sgt Stubby: An American Hero”, was released in 2018.
3. Sea lion saves suicidal teen
When 19-year-old Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, he instantly regretted the decision.
Hines, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, suffered severe injuries from the impact of landing feet-first into the water. After he surfaced and tried to stay afloat, he felt something nudge his body. He initially thought it was a shark and punched at it, but the animal kept circling under him to bump him up.
Witnesses would later identify the creature as a sea lion that helped Hines stay afloat until the coast guard rescued him.
Today, the 40-year-old is a mental-health advocate and passionate activist for suicide prevention, all thanks to an unnamed and unknown “dog of the sea”.
4. Frida, the four-legged hero
Frida, a Labrador Retriever, served in the Mexican Navy, where she helped in rescue efforts during natural disasters and saved 12 people over the course of 10 years.
She was deployed during the earthquakes in Haiti and Ecuador in 2010 and 2016, respectively, as well as an explosion at the headquarters of Mexican state oil company Pemex in 2013.
She also sprang into action during a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City and its surrounding areas in 2017.
Frida, who was trained to bark if she detected a person in need of help, retired in June 2019 and received a chew toy for her decade of exceptional service.
5. Puppy saves human family from fire
Closer to home, an eight-month-old puppy in Teluk Intan, Perak, woke her owner in the wee hours of the morning when a fire broke out in the house.
The owner, who initially thought the pup was thirsty, sensed something amiss when the dog kept nipping and pulling at one of her legs. Only then did she realise the house was on fire.
The family managed to get out of the house safely, thanks to a clever little canine who alerted them to danger.