TORONTO - Most heroes humbly accept thanks, and those honoured Monday were no different except for a few wagging tails and one "meow.''
Three dogs and one cat were inducted into the Purina Hall of Fame for feats of bravery and determination that saved lives.
"They do not enhance lives. These animals we have seen this morning, they save our lives,'' master of ceremonies William Thomas, the author of eight books including "The Dog Rules Damn Near Everything,'' said at the awards ceremony.
"It's truly amazing the bond between us and them.''
Echo, a shepherd-collie mix from Manitoulin Island, proved herself a life saver last July during a canoe trip on Lake Huron.
Tish Smith knew her dog was a good swimmer, so she thought Echo would make a good companion on what was to be her solo canoe trip across the lake.
Towards the end of the trip, Smith tried to get a life jacket on Echo because a storm was coming. The dog refused the jacket so Smith wore both.
The canoe capsized and Echo stayed close to Smith, sometimes tucking under her arm and other times circling around her.
Smith said Echo's calm eyes helped her throughout the ordeal until she passed out. Echo circled around Smith until a rescue team spotted them. The two survived the frigid temperatures for 12 hours before they were rescued.
They were found within swimming distance of the shore, meaning that Echo fought against her instincts to swim ashore. Instead, she stayed with Smith.
"It was shocking how cold it was for July. We swam around for hours. I thought we'd be OK, but it was so cold,'' Smith said. "Without Echo ... there wouldn't have been a rescue.''
Another of the honoured pets was Jango, a Trail, B.C., golden retriever, who greets customers at her family's pet grooming business and provides pet therapy to the elderly.
Last year in January, Darrell Unger woke up, a little annoyed, to Jango's incessant barking. But a second later he remembered Jango doesn't normally bark and realized his house was filling with smoke.
Unger raced to his son's room to find that Koby, who was four at the time, was unconscious.
He picked up the boy and navigated his way through the smoke-filled house by following Jango's barking.
Once safely outside, Unger went back into the house to get the two family kittens.
Const. Derek Gallon, who happened to be driving by and radioed the fire department, followed Unger inside and found him passed out.
Everyone was treated for smoke inhalation and even the two kittens were rescued.
"Me and my husband have three heroes,'' said Christine Unger, who wasn't home that fateful evening.
"Jango is my first hero. My husband ... he saved our son's life ... and Const. Gallon saved my husband's life.''
Darrell Unger said that ever since the fire, which destroyed everything in the house, Jango has put on five or 10 pounds because there is no way he can deny his hero any treats.
There was barely a dry eye in the crowd as everyone watched five-year-old Koby place the medal of honour on his pal, whom he now calls "babylove.''
Ki, an eight-year-old German shepherd who works for the Ontario Provincial Police in Bracebridge, Ont., was also honoured for helping to locate a man lost in the Haliburton Highlands during a snowstorm.
Const. Shawn Campbell and his canine partner were called to the scene after a 54-year-old man who was looking at property in the area became separated from his group and made a cellular call to police.
However, by the time Ki and Campbell arrived, the man had wandered off. Ki traced the man's tracks for over six hours and 10 kilometres.
OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino commended the outstanding efforts of Campbell and Ki in a press release.
"This dramatic rescue is an example of the dedication and commitment of police officers and their canine partners who often put themselves in harm's way to protect the public,'' Fantino said in a statement.
The one outburst at the Hall of Fame ceremony Monday was more of an out-purr, as Mel-O of Morinville, Alta., let out a single "meow'' as she was being honoured.
Mel-O, always a quiet cat -- hence her name-- climbed up the ladder to nine-year-old Alex Rose's loft bed. She walked on his chest, swatted his face and purred in his ear until he got out of bed.
Alex has Type 1 diabetes and his mother, Danielle, had tucked him in after completing his final glucose test for the evening. His levels were fine so Danielle thought he was stalling going to bed.
When Alex told her that Mel-O had woken him, Danielle was concerned and did another glucose test. The boy's levels were dangerously low.
While she can't explain how a cat could sense low blood sugar, Danielle does know that Mel-O saved her son's life.
"It could have been another five minutes before he had a seizure,'' Danielle said while Alex held the cat in a red blanket beside her.
"She was a part of our family and always will be but this was just an amazing thing that happened and she is always good to him whenever he is sick. She is always right there.''
Highlights from the ceremony were filmed for an upcoming special to air on Animal Planet in September.
