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Buffy was a true dog of valor. © the Bartley family |
Buffy, a 7-year-old German Shepherd from Oakland, Calif., made her way out to the driveway one day in January 2007 to greet her owner, Will Bartley.
As she went to him, a man pointed a gun at Bartley's chest and demanded money. Bartley emptied his pockets, but the assailant demanded more.
Buffy sensed danger and lunged at the gunman, who responded by firing twice. Despite being struck once in her front leg, Buffy pursued the gunman, who eventually escaped.
Thanks to Buffy's heroic action, Bartley was left unharmed. But Buffy lost a large amount of blood from the gunshot wound and had to undergo surgery in an effort to save her shattered leg.
Although the surgery was a success, the injury aggravated an underlying kidney issue that led Buffy's family to humanely euthanize her a month after her heroic efforts.
Dog of Valor
Buffy has been posthumously named the Valor Dog of the Year by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). She was chosen to receive the highest honor in the companion dog category of the Dogs of Valor Awards by a panel of celebrity judges that included Martina Navratilova, Candy Spelling, Tamar Geller, and Silvio Horta. The panel selected Buffy because of the extraordinary courage she exhibited that day in saving her owner's life.
A private awards ceremony with the family was held on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
"My family and I would like to thank The HSUS and the entire Bay Area community for their support and compassion since this incident occurred," said Bartley. "We still love and miss Buffy dearly, but this award and the countless cards and letters of sympathy we have received have gone a long way to help us heal. We are so proud of Buffy and grateful to have had such a true and loving friend."
Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS, added, "Buffy's courage and dedication to her family exemplify what the 'Dogs of Valor Award' is all about. We are proud to present this inaugural award to her family and hope it helps ease the pain they still feel at her loss."
The Bartley family was presented with an original sterling silver Dogs of Valor tag designed by Bella Tocca Tags, a framed Dogs of Valor certificate and a $250 gift certificate for Humane Domain, The HSUS' online store.
