Many dogs have a keen intelligence that belies their status as simple animals. Some of the things that they do might make you wonder if there is a compassionate soul behind those eyes. One German shepherd, named Hero, ended up becoming just that when he saved a woman from a car wreck.

His story will leave you wondering just how much dogs understand the world around them and really feel about the humans that they encounter.

An afternoon drive turned bad

Hero’s story begins way before he got his current name with a woman named Shannon Lorio. Lorio had gotten into her car one evening after a heated argument with her husband. Frustrated and angry, Lorio had decided to take a short drive to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, she would never make it to her destination.

As she made her way down a section of road in the Georgia countryside known as “Nascar Road.” Named this due to its long length and traffic-free nature, the road is often the sight of speeding drivers as they race down its length. Lorio’s high emotional state and the conditions of the road that day led to what happened next.

“I was angry, and I was speeding. I turned onto a road that was really windy and curvy, took the first curve no problems- but when I came into the second curve, the car fishtailed. It took me out of the driver’s seat and threw me out of the back glass,” Lorio recalled in an interview.

An unlikely hero to the rescue

Initially knocked unconscious, Lorio came to, bleeding, in pain, and unable to move. Needing medical aid, Lorio searched for a way to get the help she needed. Praying for a miracle, she passed out once again. Coming to, she saw a figure towering over her, a German shepherd.

“I don’t know how long I had been out before I came to, but I remember when I did come to, I felt this huge presence. I don’t know if he was making his rounds (the dog), I don’t know if he was headed back to his original owner. But he came across me, and I thank God that he did.” Lorio said.

The dog licked Lorio’s face as she passed out once again. As she came to, she realized that the dog had turned her around and was now dragging her out of the car and up to the side of the road by her shirt. Lorio then grabbed ahold of the dog’s neck and got to her feet where she was able to flag down a passing car.

After being admitted to the hospital, the extent of Lorio’s injuries was finally shown. She had suffered an intracranial brain hemorrhage during the accident, and if not for the heroic German shepherd, would not have made it. Instead, she was able to return home quickly after only a short stay in the hospital.

“This dog, he did everything, and he’s an amazing animal, he really is. If he hadn’t have saved me, I wouldn’t have been here today,” Lorio said.

A new life

Word of the dog’s deeds spread quickly and it was discovered that he was a simple stray. Taken in by the Humane Society, he was given a name, Hero, and quickly found a home with Heidy Drawdy, but his journey didn’t end there.

Drawdy, a search and rescue trainer and owner of South Georgia Search Dog Inc. in Thomasville, Georgia, adopted Hero to train him in search and rescue. Now, Hero’s intelligence could be turned to helping others in need of rescue, just like he did Lorio.

Because of dogs like Hero, people are saved from life-threatening situations every year. Their dedication to their job makes them the true stars of many search and rescue teams, just like Hero. For more on Lorio and Hero’s story, watch the video below.

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Source: YouTube – Carlos Aguilar