Dog Names Meaning Happy

Felix was the name given to a mixed breed stray that was taken in by the firefighters of Engine Co. 25 in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago sometime between 1910 and 1920. Where he came from is disputed, some say he was a pup left on the doorstep, others say he was an injured dog given to the firehouse, and still, others say he found his way there himself. He learned the alarm bells and would hop on the firetrucks, ready for action, and had his picture taken on one of the first motorized water pump trucks. Felix started out guarding the firetrucks while the men were fighting the fire, but it didn’t take long before he became more involved. Stories tell of a dog who climbed ladders and into the fire with the fireman, sometimes helping them to find ways out of the inferno and once alerting them to the presence of an infant child, saving it from a tragic death. From the time he started with the Firemen until his death on the job in 1926 when he was struck by a motorist, Felix missed only one run in his entire career. The uncommon mutt was honored after his passing with honors reserved for those who died in the line of duty and buried in a fine mahogany casket, and a bronze statue of Felix stands outside the Palos Hills Library.

Chara, a Norwegian Elkhound, was a hero for Kris Church-DiCicco right from the start. Kris has been deaf since birth and in 2007 Chara was partnered with Kris to help her be more aware of the auditory world around her by alerting her to telephones, doorbells, and crying children around the home and dangers like sirens or oncoming traffic when out and about. Then in 2008, Kris suffered an accident at work that caused her to develop a disorder known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy type II with Dystonia. It’s a complex disorder that is still not clearly understood by the medical community in which the sufferer experiences episodes of intense pain and swelling that are often accompanied by uncomfortable changes in the skin. These episodes, known as myoclonic dystonic attacks, are often unpredictable and can be debilitating. Chara decided that this would be her purview as well, and she took it upon herself to learn how to detect oncoming attacks 15 to 45 minutes before they hit and began to alert her owner. Chara once again proved her heroism when Kris’s son Nicholas developed a severe cold at just two weeks old and stopped breathing. The ever-alert little Elkhound quickly summoned her handler and the newborn was saved. For her life-saving efforts Chara was honored with the 2015 Hero Award in the Guide/Hearing dog category which she received in Los Angeles, where she and her family attended the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards gala, and her story has been told in multiple different books, including “Loyal” a book put out by National Geographic.