Dog Hero Near Argonia
By Chris Frank, Kake-TV 10

Hero Dog January 13 - Man's best friend is also a Sumner County woman's life-saving hero.

Irene Box-Crews is on the mend in an assisted living center with her injured left arm in a splint. The 86-year old took a spill on the ice in the backyard of her home near Argonia.

The accident happened last Thursday while she was taking fresh water to the frozen bird bath, not realizing how slick it was. She fell on the patio steps.

Box-Crews was on the ground writhing in pain, when along came Charlie her Golden Retriever.

Box-Crews says she reached up and put her good arm around Charlie's neck. She was able to make it back into the house by hanging onto Charlie. Box-Crews says she's glad Charlie was there, because she wouldn't have been able to make it into the house by herself.

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Golden Retriever Saves Hikers From Mountain Lion
Friendly 'Stanley' Charges Until Mountain Lion Climbs Up Tree
TheDenverChannel.com, February 5, 2004 

LYONS, Colo. -- A trusty golden retriever named Stanley is being hailed a hero after saving his owner and her friend from a mountain lion.

The two women were hiking with their dogs off Highway 7 in Lyons last week when a mountain lion approached. They had noticed tracks in the area but they thought the tracks were old until Betsy Burton spotted an animal out of the corner of her eye.

"I turned to my left and he was right there. About 4 to 6 feet, kind of to the left of me, but behind me. It was this absolutely gorgeous mountain lion," Burton said. "At first I really didn't get it. I saw him and I thought, 'How beautiful.'"

Then the lion spotted Burton and Cindy Kaylan. They say it crouched down and began to growl. "The lion just kept staring at Betsy and it just seemed like he was going to come after her," Kaylan said. "I felt like running but I knew that wasn't the right thing to do."

Burton then yelled at Kaylan to find a big branch and hold it above her head to make her appear larger.

"You know, that made me act big. We just kept screaming," said Kaylan, who owns Stanley.

"Then all of a sudden Stanley just charged at him, and the mountain lion ran up a tree about 30 feet away," Kaylan said.

Praise for Pets 2005 Award Winners
On Thursday, May 19, hundreds of animal lovers attended the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Praise for Pets FunRaiser event to celebrate the special bond humans and animals share and to raise funds to benefit the Colorado Veterinary Medical Foundation. 

Stanley, is a courageous dog who was presented with the 2005 Hero Award.  In January 2004, Stanley, a then-two year old golden retriever, and owner Cindy Kalyan of Lyons, Colorado, were hiking with friends in the Lyons area when their world took a dangerous turn.  A mountain lion was crouched along the side of the trail, not four feet from the group.  The lion’s eyes were focused on the group, it was hissing and had flattened its ears, signaling that it was ready to charge.  The women screamed.  Stanley took charge and threw himself between the women and the lion, barking and lunging.  Cindy and her friend, both experienced outdoorswomen, knew that running would only make them more desirable prey for the lion.  They knew they had to get big and get loud.  With Stanley holding the lion at bay, they tore off tree branches and held them over their heads.  Stanley chased the lion up a tree.  As Stanley kept the lion treed, the women began to back away slowly – moving in the direction of the parking area and the safety of their car.  Several minutes later, Stanley bounded up to the women in the parking area, wagging his tail and acting as if he wanted to say, “Wow…Did you see what I just did?”  

Once safely at home, Cindy wondered what she could do to thank Stanley.  She seemed to have gotten it right as Stanley was quite happy with his steak dinner, bone and all.  Stanley’s heroics have made him quite the celebrity as he has been featured in an article in Good Housekeeping and will be a guest on the Montel Williams Show later in the year.

Congratulations, Stanley; owner, Cindy Kalyan; and nominating veterinarian, Dr. Steven Benscheidt of Longmont. 

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