Dog Saves Baby: By Guest Blogger Roberta Striga

Nursing dog saves an abandoned baby! Argentinians have a new hero. And not only it is a she, but she is also a a dog. La China is an 8-year old dog who was nursing her own new-born puppies when she found an abandoned baby in the field outside of La Plata, Argentina. The child was born prematurely by a 14 year old girl, who obviously panicked and left him amidst the rubbish in the field. It is believed La China carried the baby (weighting about 8 pounds) some 50 yards and then placed him among her own puppies who have kept him warm. Miraculously the child was unscathed (apart from some slight bruising) and had no bite marks on him. The owner of La China Fabio Anze heard the baby crying and found him amidst the litter of puppies. The mother of the baby showed up shortly after the baby was found, but the authorities are keeping him until they decide about his future. The child is already being called a "miracle baby" and the press compared the story to the story about Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, who according to the legend were abandoned and then saved by a wolf. And as for La China, since the media has descended to take pictures of the heroine dog she has been under stress and is petrified trying to protect her own puppies. After all the recent news about rampaging dogs and other whatnots, I absolutely love this story. With the media sensationalizing stories about the dogs attacking, I cannot help but wonder - how have the humans abused that particular dog to make him that vicious? It might be their own owner, it might be some stranger in their past, but I cannot help but wonder what has been done to any particular dog at any given time to make him lash out. I am of a firm belief dogs have gentle, kind and loving natures. I mean look at La China. She carried an 8lb 13oz baby across the field! Without hurting him in any way! And placed him with her puppies to make him warm and protect him. On the other hand his own mother (who might have been 14, panicked and scared but should have known better) has abandoned him. And all of that brings me to a sad truth, but truth nonetheless - us humans can learn a lot from animals. So dear readers what do you think of the savior dog from Argentina and her story? What can we humans learn from the animals? Do you think dogs attack without reason or do you think they have suffered at the hand of men to make them lash out? Share with us your views and comments in the comment section below or e-mail us at stories@petside.com