Meet the brave dog who saved owner from burglary, retrieved stolen items and saved two cats from a house fire

Meet Britain’s bravest dog, Storm, who has protected his owner from burglars, retrieved stolen items from thieves and even saved two pet cats from a house fire.

Storm, who is a 12-year-old Alaskan Malamute, has been awarded a prestigious medal in recognition of the wonderful things he has done for others.

The brilliant pet dog is now the proud owner of the Blue Cross Medal, which is an accolade created by animal charity Blue Cross to reward animals who make a difference to people’s lives.

A police officer has also described hero Storm as being "just as good as a trained police dog".

Storm to the rescue

Storm first came to the aid of his owner, Karen Crosby, in 2019 when burglars broke in to her home. He chased the thieves from the house, causing them to drop the gods they had stolen, and he even alerted a passer-by who then called the police.

Then, in May this year Storm didn’t hesitate to act when a neighbour contacted Karen, who was away from her Liverpool home at the time, to say her house was on fire and all of her pets were trapped inside.

The brave and selfless pooch saved the lives of two of Karen’s cats by pushing them out of a window as the house filled with smoke, and then calmly waited by the kitchen door for firefighters to rescue him.

Owner Karen, aged 64, from Wavertree in Liverpool, said: "Storm is a hero to me for everything he has done and continues to do.

"The fire brigade could not believe how Storm saved two of my cats and trusted that help would soon arrive. The police were so impressed they personally took him down the road to his vet to check hadn’t inhaled the smoke or been harmed.

"The officer would not leave his side and said he was as good as a trained police dog.”

Prestigious award for Storm

The lifesaving pet was given the Blue Cross award on the 125th anniversary of the Blue Cross, an animal welfare charity specialised in helping sick, injured and homeless pets. He was chosen from 650 nominations of pets considered heroes by their owners.

Karen said: “I’m over the moon that he has won the Blue Cross medal. It was amazing news. I never expected he would win and I’m so proud of him.”

The Blue Cross medal was first given to a pet in 1940, after a dog called La Cloche saved his owner, a French sailor, from drowning.

The Blue Cross charity was formed with an aim of helping vulnerable pets and their owners.

Chris Burghes, Blue Cross chief executive, on choosing this year’s winner, said: "We were particularly moved by the number of pets who really do help their owners’ mental health, some even preventing their owners from taking their own lives.

"It was a very close call, but Storm came out on top. He is an amazing pet that has been such a valued member of the family when they have gone through so much.

"Congratulations to him and each and every pet who supports their owners in both day-to-day life and by doing incredible acts like Storm.”

Storm is an everyday hero

Storm is also a hero in his everyday life, and he is vitally important to Karen and her partner, Phil, age 69, who suffered two brain injuries and developed epilepsy and vascular dementia.

Before moving into care, Phil relied on Storm’s services to help him with his walking and gently nudge him if he wasn’t walking in a straight line.

Storm still does this for Karen, who has degenerative disc disease, little sensation in her left leg, visual field problems and tinnitus.

He alerts her to the telephone ringing and the doorbell being runf and helps her to cross the road. He also provides further support for her fibromyalgia and asthma, and is able to sense if an attack is imminent and provide comfort and support for Karen during this time.