Hero Pit Bull Dog Receives Award from Texas Fire Department for Saving His Owner's Life

Apr 22, 2021

Pit bulls get a bad rap in the United States. Not only do many people think of them as dangerous, but some animal lovers simply dismiss the breed as ugly. In the end, the stereotype of a pit bull is a big, muscular and violent dog that parents ought to keep away from their children. But as is the case with almost all stereotypes, it turns out that pit bulls’ bad reputation is largely undeserved.

Pit bulls can be beautiful, sweet and loving despite their reputation. In fact, there are dozens of stories on the internet about wonderful pit bulls who consistently brighten the lives of their owners.

This April 2021 story out of El Paso, Texas is just more proof that pit bulls aren’t just violent dogs keen on chasing after you. In fact, the pit bull in this story is a hero. On April 15, Astro the pit bull likely saved his owner's life when he alerted a nearby good samaritan that there was a medical emergency.

After Astro saved his owner’s life, the El Paso community got together to honor the heroic dog. Astro’s story serves as just another reminder that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. While pit bulls might seem big and scary, it turns out that many of them simply need a good home and lots of love. And as Astro’s story proves, they are sure to love you back. If you’re still unsure of this kind (and heroic) breed, check out this story and decide for yourself.

“We know that the dog was even trying to climb into the ambulance with the owner, firefighters had to lure him into a vehicle for family members to come and pick him up and without his help the patient might have never been found,” said Enrique Duenas-Aguilar, an El Paso Fire Department spokesperson of the rescue.

While details of the rescue and the owner’s medical condition remain a mystery due to privacy concerns, KTSM reports that the person is stable and recovering.

According to the local news outlet, Astro’s family was reluctant when it came to adopting the pit bull a year ago. Bertha Martinez, Astro’s owner, was even scared of the dog.

“I’ve always been scared of pit bulls, and when we brought him home, I wasn’t sure we’d keep him for a long time cause he was going to grow up,” Martinez told KTSM.

For Astro’s quick thinking, the El Paso Fire Department awarded the pup a special cake for dogs and an award on Friday, April 16.

The interim director for El Paso Animal Services, Ramon Herrera, wants Astro’s story to be a reminder that we shouldn’t be prejudiced against certain breeds.

“Not only was he a friend but he was there to help when his owner needed him the most,” Herrera said.

“He really set an example for dogs that look just like him, Astro is definitely a pit bull and that is one of the main breeds you find in many shelters,” the interim director added.

It turns out that the breed’s bad reputation is largely a historical phenomenon, according to Browney Dickey, an American journalist who wrote a book about pit bull stigma called “Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon.”

For example, Dickey argues that misinformation plays a big role in how pit bulls are perceived. Dog fatalities are very rare, and the deaths that are ascribed to pit bulls are often misattributed.

“People who have studied these cases, like Jeffrey Sacks at the CDC, have shown that when it comes to fatalities caused by pit bulls, the breed identifications are often not accurate,” Dickey explained in a 2016 interview with National Geographic.

Dickey also points out that the history of pit bulls in the U.S tells a different story.

The dogs were quite popular during WWI and the Depression, according to Dickey’s research. At that time, the breed wasn’t seen as a menace; rather, they were all-American, representative of blue collar workers and average citizens. However, the post-WWII boom began to change that. Dickey notes that the economic momentum led to a greater interest in kennel club breeds, and thus pit bulls fell out of favor with American pet owners. But one of the biggest shifts in public perception came in the 1970s when the humane movement began working to crack down on illegal dog fights.

“In order to do that, they partnered with the media to put dog fighting on the front page of every newspaper in America,” Dickey told National Geographic. “In doing so, they encouraged wild speculations about these dogs that were not based in science or historical fact — things like they have 5,000 pounds of jaw pressure. And the more terrified everyone became, the more people who probably should not have had these dogs, wanted them.”

And since then, pit bulls haven’t really been able to shake their bad reputation. But stories like Astro’s are helping to change people’s perceptions of the breed.

What do you think of Astro’s story? Do you feel like pit bulls are dangerous? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to fellow animal lovers.