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Daisy to the Rescue: True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes
Who rescued who? This popular animal-shelter bumper sticker captures an enduring emotional truth: With their love and companionship, animals of all species save our lives every day. But sometimes, to our utter amazement and everlasting gratitude, animals literally save our lives, and this heartwarming book collects over 50 real-life stories of animals rescuing people, in which the actions of animals have meant the difference between life and death. Today, scientists vigorously debate questions regarding the sentience, intelligence, and emotions of animals. In particular, they want to know whether animals share with humans the highest emotions of empathy, compassion, and altruism. This book also poses these questions for readers to consider, and using current research on animal minds and emotions, it examines these extreme life-saving situations for possible evidence. Where appropriate, skepticism and doubt surrounding particular stories is included, but gathered together, these anecdotes make a compelling case for the presence of altruism in animals. Thus, this book provides dramatic, thrilling, and moving stories that convey a hopeful message about our world. But these stories also provide startling evidence of the mental and emotional capacities of animals, those being we share the world with.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Campbell
16 books8 followersJeff Campbell is a freelance writer, book editor, and creative writing teacher. He's published three nonfiction books for young adults: "Glowing Bunnies!?: Why We're Making Hybrids, Chimeras, and Clones" (Zest, 2022); "Last of the Giants" (Zest, 2016), about extinct and endangered animals; and "Daisy to the Rescue" (Zest, 2014), about animals saving humans and animal intelligence. For twelve years he was also a travel writer for Lonely Planet, coauthoring over a dozen guidebooks to US destinations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 10, 2015
Some days one can't help hating humanity. On those days I strongly recommend this book full of well-verified stories about various non-humans who demonstrate empathy and creativity and save the lives of humans, whether the humans deserve it or not. That many of these fabulous critters are either wild or rescued just makes the whole thing that much better. Also, I like the illustrations. And I really like that Campbell never overstates the case for what the critters in question may have been thinking or feeling. He just reports the facts. Facts which make it abundantly clear that all social animals share an inclination to help, even at great personal risk, regardless of the species in trouble.
The most positive and affirming book I've read this year. These animals make me want to be a better human.
Library copy.
The most positive and affirming book I've read this year. These animals make me want to be a better human.
Library copy.
November 12, 2018
It is a great book and definitely a favorite book of mine now.
November 9, 2020
Short articles of animals that saved people. Multiple types of animals, multiple conditions, and multiple ways of saving people. If you love animals, you will like this book.
Read a few or many of these stories.
Read a few or many of these stories.
May 31, 2014
I got this book from BEA where I also met the author, Jeff Campbell. This is a fascinating collection of stories from a wide variety of animals. Each story is only a few pages long so it should appeal to reluctant readers or to anyone who enjoys a book that's easy to pick up.
December 3, 2014
This book has some of the most touching animal rescues I've ever read. Some were heartwarming, like the pony that lost a leg and became an inspiration to sick people of all ages. Some, like the African lions that chased off a young girl's kidnappers and stood guard until the police arrived, defy explanation. One of the stories that got to me the most was about a young veteran that almost took his own life, but stopped himself when his sweet dog showed him unconditional love.
The stories in this book are beautiful, inspiring, and a must read for any animal lover. This is the kind of book I would have devoured as a young adult. I devoured it as an adult, so what does that tell you?
If you or your teen likes animals and want to read something that will warm your heart, pick this book up. It is like Chicken Soup for the Pet Owner's Soul.
Content: Some intense situations and a few mild curse words.
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My blog: Batch of Books
The stories in this book are beautiful, inspiring, and a must read for any animal lover. This is the kind of book I would have devoured as a young adult. I devoured it as an adult, so what does that tell you?
If you or your teen likes animals and want to read something that will warm your heart, pick this book up. It is like Chicken Soup for the Pet Owner's Soul.
Content: Some intense situations and a few mild curse words.
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My blog: Batch of Books
January 25, 2018
I am a sucker for a good book about animals and this one is no exception. Campbell tells many tales about domestic, trained, and wild animals who in some way ‘save’ humans.
From the dog who can sense cancer and warn its owner to the dolphin who ‘adopts’ an autistic child, makes him laugh and eventually use his voice and body to the wild gorilla who blocks her pack in a zoo when a child falls in, takes the child to the keeper’s entrance and then waits until someone comes to rescue her, these tales of the connection animals have with humans will both entertain and enlighten the reader.
From the dog who can sense cancer and warn its owner to the dolphin who ‘adopts’ an autistic child, makes him laugh and eventually use his voice and body to the wild gorilla who blocks her pack in a zoo when a child falls in, takes the child to the keeper’s entrance and then waits until someone comes to rescue her, these tales of the connection animals have with humans will both entertain and enlighten the reader.
October 12, 2014
This is a great book about animal heroes. I really liked how the author uses the introduction to explain how the stories came to be in the book and the amount of research it took to create the book. It also has some very engaging art work (the drawing of the animals are gorgeous) and fact sheets before each story. The stories are short and the author has a very strong voice, which I think people (and kids) will find very engaging. This one is a real find!
March 13, 2020
Normally this kind of book would be right up my alley. Short stories about animal heroes that have saved or rescued people. Unfortunately, the formatting and editing for this book did the subject material no favors. In short, due to the way the material was laid out made the stories as dry as dirt and twice as boring.
First of all, the author tries to turn this list of stories into a scientific exploration of animals as empathic, self-aware, cognitive entities. So a lot of speculation/explanatory oration at the beginning and sprinkled throughout.
Then in front of every animal’s story, this information is listed:
Animal Name & Species (Lulu the Pot-Bellied Pig)
Minimalist Title of achievement ( Stops Traffic)
A line drawing of the animal or species
Name: (Lulu)
Species: (Vietnamese pot-bellied pig)
Date: (August 4, 1998)
Location: (Presque Isle, PA)
Situation: (Woman suffering a heart attack)
Who was saved: (Fifty-seven-year-old person’s name)
Legacy: (List of awards, and media attention)
Now, you can see that we’ve already been told twice what our animal did. Only now do we get a short recounting of what the animal did with a little more detail, but it’s redundant. After a few I finally tried to skip reading the spoilers at the front of each animal’s story. It turned out that I had previously read books that contained several of the animal’s stories (told in more interesting fashions, too).
I just can’t recommend this book to anyone.
First of all, the author tries to turn this list of stories into a scientific exploration of animals as empathic, self-aware, cognitive entities. So a lot of speculation/explanatory oration at the beginning and sprinkled throughout.
Then in front of every animal’s story, this information is listed:
Animal Name & Species (Lulu the Pot-Bellied Pig)
Minimalist Title of achievement ( Stops Traffic)
A line drawing of the animal or species
Name: (Lulu)
Species: (Vietnamese pot-bellied pig)
Date: (August 4, 1998)
Location: (Presque Isle, PA)
Situation: (Woman suffering a heart attack)
Who was saved: (Fifty-seven-year-old person’s name)
Legacy: (List of awards, and media attention)
Now, you can see that we’ve already been told twice what our animal did. Only now do we get a short recounting of what the animal did with a little more detail, but it’s redundant. After a few I finally tried to skip reading the spoilers at the front of each animal’s story. It turned out that I had previously read books that contained several of the animal’s stories (told in more interesting fashions, too).
I just can’t recommend this book to anyone.
June 26, 2020
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It was full of true stories of brave animals. The book is divided into four sections. The first section was about domestic animals with a strong loyalty to their owner. Most of which were sweet stories, but there was one story that was a little sad at the end. The second section was about service animals, therapy animals, police canines, and war dogs that went above and beyond their training. The third section was about wild animals and zoo animals who saved people even though they had no obligation too.
The fourth section was titled "Folktales and Legends" even though half the stories in that section were also true stories. Like Togo and Sergeant Stubby, for example; they were real dogs who really did do great things, and they probably belong in section two (Trained to Serve, Inspired to Heal). Sure, there were a few maybes the "Folktales and Legends" section. Like the two girls raised by Indian wolves. (Indian as in from India.) It could possibly be true, but at the same time, it might not be. Who knows?
The fourth section was titled "Folktales and Legends" even though half the stories in that section were also true stories. Like Togo and Sergeant Stubby, for example; they were real dogs who really did do great things, and they probably belong in section two (Trained to Serve, Inspired to Heal). Sure, there were a few maybes the "Folktales and Legends" section. Like the two girls raised by Indian wolves. (Indian as in from India.) It could possibly be true, but at the same time, it might not be. Who knows?
April 4, 2021
Lots of great stories, although the anecdotal approach didn't particularly capture me... Solid writing, interesting info, carefully verified stories -- I just personally would prefer an overarching thesis or narrative to tie them all together (like The Possibility Dogs).
June 22, 2019
I really enjoyed a lot of the stories in this book, but my two favorites were Inky and Pudding, because they are cats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
April 14, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 15, 2025
Tales of all types of animals who risked their lives to save humans.
August 8, 2015
Summary
Have you ever wondered why our culture often promotes movies about animals saving people? Where do these stories come from? Is it a matter of instinct or do animals really have compassion for those they love, even enough to save them?
In Daisy to the Rescue, real-life stories are told of brave and loyal animals who saved their loved ones from near-death experiences and dangers unimaginable. Read daring stories about about a pot bellied pig who saves her owner from dying on the kitchen floor of a heart-attack; a rabbit who sensed an oncoming diabetic reaction; Toby, a gold retriever who somehow is smart enough to perform the Heimlich maneuver; Willie a parrot who gets the attention of the baby sitter and saves a baby from choking; Ninnong an Asian tourist elephant who saves a little girl from the Tusnami or Kabang the Aspin who puts himself in harms way of saving two girls from being killed by a motorcycle. From reading this novel, you will see that it's no wonder we have movies like Lassie, Beethoven, My Dog Skip, Flipper and many other movies that promote animals who save lives.
If you are an animal lover with a big heart and you want to discover whether dogs and other remarkable pets really do have souls and can think for themselves, then read this book and learn how loyal pets can really be to their loved ones.
My Thoughts
After reading this nonfiction title and thoroughly enjoying it, I know I made the right purchase for the middle school library that I worked at last year. As a school librarian who unfortunately graduated without a nonfiction course, I've always wanted to learn about more nonfiction titles and try to read more of them to become a more well-rounded librarian. I was recommended this title at an Illinois School Library Media Association conference, Fall 2015, during a nonfiction section. After hearing about some of the stories that were in the novel, and being an animal lover, I thought I would give this title a try hoping it would be appropriate for middle school students and get them more interested in reading nonfiction considering that Common Core really pushes and encourages nonfiction reading or "informational" reading.
Although many of these are narrative stories, the book also goes a little bit into theory and science behind why some animals save their owners and whether it has anything to do with how smart an animal is, whether they actually have feelings (compassion) or whether it is just instinct. Not only does the novel include some science curriculum connections, but the novel is very easy to read and therefore, a great selection for young adults and animal lovers.
Have you ever wondered why our culture often promotes movies about animals saving people? Where do these stories come from? Is it a matter of instinct or do animals really have compassion for those they love, even enough to save them?
In Daisy to the Rescue, real-life stories are told of brave and loyal animals who saved their loved ones from near-death experiences and dangers unimaginable. Read daring stories about about a pot bellied pig who saves her owner from dying on the kitchen floor of a heart-attack; a rabbit who sensed an oncoming diabetic reaction; Toby, a gold retriever who somehow is smart enough to perform the Heimlich maneuver; Willie a parrot who gets the attention of the baby sitter and saves a baby from choking; Ninnong an Asian tourist elephant who saves a little girl from the Tusnami or Kabang the Aspin who puts himself in harms way of saving two girls from being killed by a motorcycle. From reading this novel, you will see that it's no wonder we have movies like Lassie, Beethoven, My Dog Skip, Flipper and many other movies that promote animals who save lives.
If you are an animal lover with a big heart and you want to discover whether dogs and other remarkable pets really do have souls and can think for themselves, then read this book and learn how loyal pets can really be to their loved ones.
My Thoughts
After reading this nonfiction title and thoroughly enjoying it, I know I made the right purchase for the middle school library that I worked at last year. As a school librarian who unfortunately graduated without a nonfiction course, I've always wanted to learn about more nonfiction titles and try to read more of them to become a more well-rounded librarian. I was recommended this title at an Illinois School Library Media Association conference, Fall 2015, during a nonfiction section. After hearing about some of the stories that were in the novel, and being an animal lover, I thought I would give this title a try hoping it would be appropriate for middle school students and get them more interested in reading nonfiction considering that Common Core really pushes and encourages nonfiction reading or "informational" reading.
Although many of these are narrative stories, the book also goes a little bit into theory and science behind why some animals save their owners and whether it has anything to do with how smart an animal is, whether they actually have feelings (compassion) or whether it is just instinct. Not only does the novel include some science curriculum connections, but the novel is very easy to read and therefore, a great selection for young adults and animal lovers.
May 1, 2015
As a child, I was obsessed with animals and read many nonfiction books about them. I'm still very fond of animals today and was delighted to be presented with the opportunity to review a book about animal heroes!
I was surprised to find that the stories were narrated like a report. I was expecting a little more narration. It does make sense though given that there are over fifty stories covered in this book. I like how the report style of narration helps to keep the author's bias and imagination from infiltrating the stories while leaving room readers to ask questions. If Campbell had taken liberties with embellishing the stories, it would be difficult to tell fact from fiction. The lack of embellishment doesn't take away from the emotions of the stories. In fact, many of them brought me to the verge of tears.
I like the layout of the stories. The opening page provides the story title and a cute drawing of the animal hero. Beneath the picture, the following information is provided: the animal's name, species, the date and location of the heroic event, the situation, who was saved (name and age), and the fame meter (how famous the animal became). In the story itself, bold heading divide the story into segments for clear reading. As I mentioned earlier, the stories are really like reports, and Campbell often provides backstory, other angles, and epilogues to the heroic tales. At the end of some of the stories, Campbell provides abbreviated accounts of similar incidents that have taken place; he does this in bullet points at the end of the "report."
It is clear that Campbell put much time and effort into the research for his book. Campbell compares tales of animal heroes and asks important questions about the validity of such tales. He also provides supplementary information on related topics to enrich the reading experience. For example, he provides a segment on mirror neurons as a possible reason for some accounts of animal heroics; another segment provides accounts of life-saving animals in pop culture. He also references some other books in his discussions of the heroic tales. I looked some of them up and plan to check them out in the future.
Though I would have liked to see more time spent on each individual story, the broad range of stories covered in this book make it a worthwhile purchase. I recommend this book to readers who love animals and reading about true tales of animal heroism.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads
I was surprised to find that the stories were narrated like a report. I was expecting a little more narration. It does make sense though given that there are over fifty stories covered in this book. I like how the report style of narration helps to keep the author's bias and imagination from infiltrating the stories while leaving room readers to ask questions. If Campbell had taken liberties with embellishing the stories, it would be difficult to tell fact from fiction. The lack of embellishment doesn't take away from the emotions of the stories. In fact, many of them brought me to the verge of tears.
I like the layout of the stories. The opening page provides the story title and a cute drawing of the animal hero. Beneath the picture, the following information is provided: the animal's name, species, the date and location of the heroic event, the situation, who was saved (name and age), and the fame meter (how famous the animal became). In the story itself, bold heading divide the story into segments for clear reading. As I mentioned earlier, the stories are really like reports, and Campbell often provides backstory, other angles, and epilogues to the heroic tales. At the end of some of the stories, Campbell provides abbreviated accounts of similar incidents that have taken place; he does this in bullet points at the end of the "report."
It is clear that Campbell put much time and effort into the research for his book. Campbell compares tales of animal heroes and asks important questions about the validity of such tales. He also provides supplementary information on related topics to enrich the reading experience. For example, he provides a segment on mirror neurons as a possible reason for some accounts of animal heroics; another segment provides accounts of life-saving animals in pop culture. He also references some other books in his discussions of the heroic tales. I looked some of them up and plan to check them out in the future.
Though I would have liked to see more time spent on each individual story, the broad range of stories covered in this book make it a worthwhile purchase. I recommend this book to readers who love animals and reading about true tales of animal heroism.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads
October 18, 2014
Confession time. I got this is an ARC signed by the author for my boyfriend's niece and I heavily considered reading it before I gave it to her or even keeping it for myself. I fought the temptation to do so and regretted not at least reading it ever since. So when I saw it pop up on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. Thankfully, I was granted a copy and was able to read it.
It is only a partial eARC, so I only read 241 pages, as per my eReading device, but I loved each and every page of it. I'm a HUGE animal lover. I am one of those people who says that animals are smarter than humans, as we don't know how to communicate with them, but they learn how to communicate with us. They also don't make weapons of mass destruction or destroy the environment to the extent that humans do. So who is smarter really?
Enough of me soapboxing, as this book doesn't do that. It tells the stories of animals saving humans. The book is broken down into four different parts: 1) pets saving people, 2) animals trained to help/save people going above and beyond what they were trained to do, 3) wild animals saving humans and 4) folklore and myth. The book cut out after the third part, so I didn't get to read the folklore and myth part, but what I did read of the first three parts was heartening and sweet and makes me wonder what our cats could do if they needed to and decided to. And yes, there were a few cats that saved their owners and there was even an instance of wild lions saving a young girl. Unfortunately, that story wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked it to be, but it was still pretty amazing.
This book was FANTASTIC. The language in it is rather scientific and adult, but I think a high-level middle reader on up would get a lot from this book. I can't wait to see if my boyfriend's niece liked it and discuss it with her. Great book; it will be highly recommended in my store.
Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for the eARC for me to read and review.
It is only a partial eARC, so I only read 241 pages, as per my eReading device, but I loved each and every page of it. I'm a HUGE animal lover. I am one of those people who says that animals are smarter than humans, as we don't know how to communicate with them, but they learn how to communicate with us. They also don't make weapons of mass destruction or destroy the environment to the extent that humans do. So who is smarter really?
Enough of me soapboxing, as this book doesn't do that. It tells the stories of animals saving humans. The book is broken down into four different parts: 1) pets saving people, 2) animals trained to help/save people going above and beyond what they were trained to do, 3) wild animals saving humans and 4) folklore and myth. The book cut out after the third part, so I didn't get to read the folklore and myth part, but what I did read of the first three parts was heartening and sweet and makes me wonder what our cats could do if they needed to and decided to. And yes, there were a few cats that saved their owners and there was even an instance of wild lions saving a young girl. Unfortunately, that story wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked it to be, but it was still pretty amazing.
This book was FANTASTIC. The language in it is rather scientific and adult, but I think a high-level middle reader on up would get a lot from this book. I can't wait to see if my boyfriend's niece liked it and discuss it with her. Great book; it will be highly recommended in my store.
Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for the eARC for me to read and review.
November 14, 2014
I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be a great book to read with my animal loving niece. We haven't had a chance to read it together yet, but I know that she will love the stories of how the animals were heroes and the connections between humans and animals.
The introduction raises the questions that we all may have, can animals really save lives? Are their actions intentional, instinctual, or coincidental? Are there other explanations for their behavior? How is this all possible?
I liked how the book is set up - stories of domestic animals, trained animals, animals in the wild, and animal legend and folktales. It is possible to read these stories in sequence or in random order. I decided to pick and choose which stories I wanted to read. Stories of a variety of animals are shared from all over the world. Some stories are touching, inspiring, and pulled at my hearts-strings with the lengths that the animals went to in an effort to protect humans and keep them safe.
Daisy to the Rescue is a great book for animal lovers young and old. It is easy to read, educational, and the illustrations throughout the book are wonderful. It is a perfect addition to any personal library collection.
The introduction raises the questions that we all may have, can animals really save lives? Are their actions intentional, instinctual, or coincidental? Are there other explanations for their behavior? How is this all possible?
I liked how the book is set up - stories of domestic animals, trained animals, animals in the wild, and animal legend and folktales. It is possible to read these stories in sequence or in random order. I decided to pick and choose which stories I wanted to read. Stories of a variety of animals are shared from all over the world. Some stories are touching, inspiring, and pulled at my hearts-strings with the lengths that the animals went to in an effort to protect humans and keep them safe.
Daisy to the Rescue is a great book for animal lovers young and old. It is easy to read, educational, and the illustrations throughout the book are wonderful. It is a perfect addition to any personal library collection.
November 1, 2014
I initially became interested in Daisy To The Rescue: True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal Heroes by Jeff Campbell based on the cover, which is blue with this awesome pen and ink drawing of a dog. For real, covers really honestly do peak my interest. Also, I liked that this book was super different from everything else that I’ve been reading all year.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
December 31, 2015
This sweet and interesting book talks about the bonds between humans and animals, and the heroic roles that animals have played in our lives. The book is broken up into four parts - Domestic Companions, Trained to Serve, Inspired to Heal, Wild Saviors and Legends and Folktales. There are a total of fifty stories, with each story being around 3-6 pages in length and with a black and white drawing of the animal. Teens interested in touching animal tales will pick and choose which stories they’re interested in, and I’m quite sure that they’ll ignore the overly long forward followed by an overly long introduction.
February 7, 2015
This book is resourceful and knowledgeable. I learned about animals AND humans from reading this book. Several ideas are openly discussed about animal's behavior, intelligence, and the human-animal bond. The stories, ideas, and other factual context provided in this book are interesting and thoughtful. However, if you feel that you don't want to read this book just for the scientific reasons, then you still will enjoy this book, because the stories about life-saving animals are heartfelt and amazing.
November 17, 2014
A wonderful collection of true stories of animals of all types saving the lives of the people that love them. Really inspiring and a reminder that animals are not the soulless, mindless machines people thought they were in the past. They are caring, intelligent, capable of empathy and incredible bravery and deserve our compassion and our love.
October 3, 2014
"With an eye toward documenting remarkable animal/human interactions, Campbell has assembled a large collection of fascinating anecdotes….Overflowing with information, fascinating tales and thought-provoking information; give it to animal-loving middle graders on up."- KIRKUS REVIEWS
August 21, 2015
Cute book with lots of stories where animals are heroes. Stories are short enough that you could read some of them aloud to students or children. Some may not be appropriate for all audiences, but what a great book to share with kids.
January 2, 2016
Fantastic. Highly browsable. Not just for adults! Animal lovers from middle school thru adult will enjoy this. I just wish there were color photos of the animals (and their owners) instead of the charcoal sketches.
April 1, 2016
I have already recommended this book to several friends. It was a very enjoyable read for those of us that love animals.
February 8, 2015
This will make you cry!
December 1, 2015
A collection of stories in which animals are heroes. Some of them are very touch and makes you appreciate the great gift pets are to humans.
Want to read
October 13, 2015I think this might work for Kaia Next quarter
May 4, 2021
so good I had to buy it!
December 14, 2016
This book would make the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life. The stories are heartwarming, and I admit, I cried several times. It felt good, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews