Pit Bull Rescues Blind Dog from Freezing to Death

Nala, a Pit Bull mix, was uncharacteristically pulling on her leash last week while being walked by Allan Borland, a volunteer from the Humane Society of Redmond, Ore., where Nala has been waiting since April for a forever home.

Borland told the Associated Press that Nala kept pulling him toward a ditch about 200 yards from the Humane Society.

He let Nala lead him to the ditch. Curled up at the bottom was a ratty, black-and-white Cocker Spaniel with ice on his feet.

Borland and Nala rushed back to the shelter, and staff members helped remove the dog from the ditch. They recognized him as Chadwick, a former shelter resident who had been adopted in November. A week before he was found in the ditch, he had escaped from his new family’s yard and had apparently become disoriented in a snowstorm.

“It was quite a surprise,” shelter manager Chris Bauersfeld told the Associated Press. “Through all his wanderings, he must have heard the shelter dogs barking and recognized the place.”

Although five other shelter dogs were walked past the ditch that morning, only Nala alerted a volunteer to Chadwick’s presence.

“Nala was a hero that day,” Borland said. “I probably would’ve never seen Chadwick there if it wasn’t for her.”

While Nala and Chadwick may not have had any contact at the shelter, Nala may have recognized Chadwick’s scent. Bauersfeld said Nala probably just smelled another dog and it was her instinct to track it down.

Chadwick is in good condition after being treated for dehydration. He was returned to his dog mom, Tina Mazzariello, who adopts disabled animals. Mazzariello had been looking for Chadwick ever since he disappeared from her yard.

Since Nala has a couple of behavioral issues like jumping fences and not getting along with some other dogs, she’s been at the shelter for several months.

“I hope that after this, somebody would step forward and adopt Nala,” Bauersfeld told the Associated Press. “She’s really a delightful dog.”

To adopt Nala or any of the shelter’s other dogs, contact the Humane Society of Redmond.

PHOTO: dogster.com