3 FURRY HEROES
JACK, TOGO, AND BANDIT WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND
Sometimes, heroes come sans cape but with fur, paws, and a keen sense of smell. We’ve heard the stories of police dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, and the German shepherd Trakr, who found the last survivor on 9/11. But even untrained pets and strays can be heroic. Meet Jack, a stray dog in New York City known for scavenging through dumpsters. One early morning, his routine search for food took a life- saving turn. Behind one of these dumpsters was a baby, wrapped in a blanket, vulnerable and alone. Instinctively and with remarkable gentleness, Jack picked up the baby in the blanket with his teeth. Whether guided by fate, an extraordinary sense of purpose, or just because it was the closest open business, Jack took the baby to the hospital. The nurses tried to shoo him away when he first ran through the sliding doors. One nurse, noticing the bundle in the dog’s mouth, was able to get close enough to retrieve the baby. Thanks to Jack, the baby received life-saving medical attention.
In the 1920s, the remote town of Nome, Alaska, grappled with a deadly diphtheria epidemic. Children were dying, and the icebound city was inaccessible by plane or boat in the winter. The only way to deliver the needed antitoxins was by dog sled on the Iditarod Trail. Balto, a Siberian
husky, received most of the fame, but Togo, another husky, led the team across the most treacherous part of the journey. These dogs delivered life-saving medicine in time and saved many of Nome’s children. Cats can be heroes, too, as proved by a calico cat who lived up to his name in the most unexpected way. One night in Mississippi, intruders were trying to break into a home. The house cat, Bandit, sensed the danger and sprang into action. The cat’s relentless scratching and tugging at its owner’s blanket finally woke him. Then Bandit led his human downstairs to discover the attempted break-in, which also scared away the intruders. Bandit proved that size and species don’t matter in heroism. In moments of crisis, these four-legged heroes rose to the occasion, not for glory or reward but out of pure love and loyalty. They are potent reminders of the courage and selflessness that animals are capable of.
Client Story: Jesus Sandoval
We are blessed to represent people who’ve moved to the U.S. from all over the world: Vietnam, Morocco, Canada, Nepal, India … even That State Up North! They all have fascinating stories of moving here for better work and better lives. America is still a land of opportunity.
came to us in 2016 after suffering two injuries at a large grocery chain headquartered in Pennsylvania named after a large national bird (C’mon, you can guess!). Jesus moved from Mexico as a young man with training as a chef. He did lots of catering events for the grocery chain and worked a second job at Sears. In 2013, working as a sous-chef, he was running a tray of six plates of food when a customer thought it might be funny to trip him. (I wouldn’t be surprised if the customer was influenced by his friend, “Al K. Hall.”) The result was no laughing matter. Jesus twisted and reached out, trying to maintain balance of the tray, and herniated discs in his lower back. He originally tried handling the claim with a union representative, but the company fought his claim and treatment hard, so he called us. Under the care of an Ohio State neurosurgeon, Jesus underwent epidural injections, lots of therapy, and ultimately, a fusion involving several levels of his lower back. Years after surgery, he still wears a back brace and has
constant pain in his leg and foot, back spasms, and tingling in his toes.
While being treated for his back, Jesus was promoted to running the seafood department of one of the chain’s new, trendy, premier locations. In 2016, he was coming out of the cooler, getting something to help a customer, when he fell on the wet floor with an outstretched left arm. He tore the three tendons comprising his rotator cuff and was called back to do one-armed work at the store! Not long after, he had surgery for the tear. While he was off, the department revenue dropped 40%; obviously, his customers really missed him! While he still requires treatment for both injuries and lives with considerable pain, his upbeat attitude and quick smile make him a favorite with customers and coworkers. He is now the chef for Torchy’s Taco franchise in Columbus, Ohio. He’s a man who doesn’t let his injuries get him down — he just keeps on going, like the Energizer bunny. We are fortunate to know him, and talking with him always brightens our day!
We have several folks from South America and Mexico, including Jesus Sandoval. Jesus
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