3.Simon The Guide Dog
In September 2013, visually impaired Dave Furakawa was walking his four-year-old son Will to school when a red Chrysler careened through an intersection. It ignored a stop sign and bore down on father and son. All might have been lost if not for Simon, Furakawa’s boxer guide dog. Simon and Dave were struck, but witnesses say the dog rose from the pavement and pushed little Will out of the way.
Bystanders brought Will down the street to his mother, and Simon dragged himself in pursuit, with a broken leg and internal injuries. When Will reached home, the boxer finally lay down. He died before he could reach the vet’s office.
Simon had been with the Furakawas for four years, the entirety of Will’s life, and he was devoted to the child. The organization that provided Simon ensured there would be another dog for Dave when he was back on his feet.
