A six-year-old pit bull is being hailed as a hero for not just saving his owner’s life once — but twice.
John and Gloria Benton of Lawrenceville in the US have owned the pooch, named Titan, since he was a puppy.
This week Titan was honored by The Humane Society of the United States for his heroism and saving Gloria’s life. He is now second runner up for the society’s 5th Annual Dogs of Valor Awards.
Last year when John was leaving for work, he sent Titan back upstairs to keep Gloria company while she was recovering from back surgery.
But Titan became agitated running back and forth between the couple’s bedroom and front door, which John says, was unusual behavior.
Titan then stood between John and the door. John went back upstairs to find that his wife had suffered an aneurysm and had fractured her skull and immediately took her back to hospital.
“What the doctor said, had it not been for this dog, if he had let me leave that house, she would have either bled to death or the aneurysm would have killed her,” John said.
“And it’s a, like I said, we owe a whole lot to this little rascal. It’s not about the breed but the way they are raised.”
Eight weeks ago, Titan came to Gloria’s rescue again. He woke John up one morning after Gloria took a tumble in the bathroom and fractured her hip.
Gloria has the same admiration and love for the pooch, despite not being too keen on having a pet dog in the house at first.
“He is so special. And you just can’t give him enough love. He loves to be loved on,” she said.
“And to think I was mad at him when my son brought it home five years ago.”
Titan is lapping up his new found stardom and was even asked to be a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, but unfortunately he couldn’t make it.
Video: See Titan in the video player above.