While animal owners know that it’s their duty to provide pet care to ensure their furry friend is happy, some may not realize that animals can return the favor. When Liz Maxted-Bluck was taking her 2-year-old Rottweiler, Jake, out for a walk, she had no idea that her beloved canine would be proclaimed a hero.

The pair were walking in a park in West Midlands, UK, last July when they heard a woman screaming, according to the Daily Mail. While Maxted-Bluck thought it was just children playing, Jake, a former rescue dog, ran into the woods to find an illegal immigrant attempting to rape a woman.

Jake chased the attacker away and circled both the girl and Maxted-Bluck to protect them. The attacker is currently on trial, where the judge was able to hear about Jake’s heroic efforts.

"He has always hated conflict so when he heard her screaming he must have known someone was in trouble," Maxted-Bluck told the court. "After he ran back to the woman, I rang the police and he circled us like he was guarding us. The woman was very grateful."

In some cases with family pets, there can be a sense of protection and companionship between the animals. Although the stereotype of cats and dogs is that they mix like oil and water, some animals are proving that this notion is a fallacy.

A pug named Chloe and a cat named Willow are the beloved pets of the Bjelland family from Billings, Montana. The two recently demonstrated how much they care for one another when Willow fell through ice into a fish pond and could not escape, according to the Missoulian.

Chloe quickly sprung into action and began barking at the Bjellands’ door. Amanda Bjelland was confused as to why the dog would not stop barking and followed as the pup led her to the koi pond where Willow was trapped.

Bjelland was able to rescue Willow and quickly took her back to the house so she could warm up. The event does not appear to have severely impacted her cat health.

When Terina Held’s 13-year-old black Labrador, Buck, went missing in the beginning of January, she thought the dog had just run away. After searches on foot and by car had turned up with nothing, the Held family said they felt that they would never see their beloved Buck again.

But when Held’s neighbor, Mark Smith, was hiking with his dog, Copper, in the Santa Cruz mountains, they stumbled upon an emaciated dog, according to PeoplePets.com. Knowing he had to help, Smith carried the dog back to civilization and noticed a missing dog poster.

It turned out that Buck had survived in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights and had lost 50 pounds. After being reunited with his family, Buck is reportedly back in good dog health. Held told the news provider that the fact he survived so long was an amazing feat.

"I don’t think a human could have lived in our woods for that period of time, especially given the storms we had," Held said. "But he’s back to his old self. I don’t want to let him out of my sight."

Oscar, the cat who shot to national stardom for his uncanny ability to predict the deaths of nursing home patients, is getting another wave of media attention thanks to a book published in his honor.

The cat has been a resident of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, for approximately five years, according to USA Today. A normally reserved cat, he only curls up to individuals a few hours before they’re going to die.

David Dosa, who works at the facility as a geriatrician, did not believe the hype at first, thinking the alleged "death cat" was simply a coincidence. However, after studying Oscar’s behavior and researching events, Dosa was inspired to write a book.

Oscar isn’t the only feline who calls the center home, six other cats live in the rehabilitation facility, although they don’t seem to hold the same phenomenal power. The other cats appear to just want pet care and attention from the residents.

Dosa believes that the animals are there to provide comfort to the residents, despite the fact that some individuals may feel uneasy when they see Oscar coming their way.

Vala, an Australian Canaan dog, is competing in the upcoming Westminster Kennel Club dog show. The black and white canine appears adorable, in good dog health and well-groomed, and also has a special hidden skill that his handler, Ethan Miller, can benefit from.

Miller suffers from cerebral palsy, which prevents him from presenting Vala with his left hand at the dog show. According to PeoplePets.com, when Miller used to suffer from seizures before medical advancements put a stop to them, Vala was able to detect an oncoming seizure two minutes prior to the occurrence, often alerting the boy’s mother.

"There’s that extra trust factor that he has with the dog," Miller’s mother, Chris, told the news source. "He knows that the dog understands him and his uniqueness. It’s a beautiful thing. They truly work as a team."

According to ABC News, other dog owners have reported that their animals can sense when they’re about to have a seizure. However, although there have been multiple claims there are no studies or scientific explanations to back this theory up.

A pet dog wanting to go outside may have inadvertently saved an entire family’s lives. French bulldog Stu was visiting Tim and Mary Kay Mark with his owners for a birthday party.

Throughout the night, Mark’s wife had begun to feel ill, according to the Herald Argus. When Stu started whining to go outside, Mark went to let him out and noticed he had a serious headache.

Mark has previous experience with first-time respondent training, and recalled his wife complaining of feeling sick. He figured out there might have been a carbon monoxide leak, called 911 and got his family out of the house.

Mark told the news provider that the family may have died had it not been for Stu waking him up to go outside.

"When I think about what might have happened had the kids not decided to spend the night here and Stu wouldn’t have been here whining to go outside," he said.

Stu, along with Mark’s other two dogs were all safely outside and reportedly in good dog health.

Guide dogs have become an integral part of the lives of individuals who have lost their sight. The Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which was founded 55 years ago, recently had a graduation ceremony in which new owners got to bring home their dogs.

The first class of the new year saw 11 graduates, nine of them trained in Yorktown, New York, according to LoHud.com. The graduates will be receiving dogs for the most time, many of whom had tired from using walking sticks and canes.

"It’s the difference between riding a bike and flying," Michael Moore, who had recently lost his vision, told the news provider. "The cane is like a bicycle. You feel every bump. And with a dog you don’t feel that. I also tell people with a cane, you have to find the obstacle, figure out what it is. And with a dog, you just avoid the obstacle entirely."

Guide dogs must be in good dog health and be able to show leadership as they help assist their owners with everyday life, according to Guide Dogs of America.

While many dogs tend to take after their owners’ interests, Austrailian Shepherd Opee has taken the trend to the extremes – literally!

The eight-year-old dog sits at the front of his owner’s motorbike, wearing his own helmet and goggles during motocross races, according to the Press-Enterprise newspaper. While many people may be afraid of the fast and dangerous sport, the canine cannot get enough.

"This dog has been over 150 mph and absolutely loves it," Opee’s owner, Mike Schelin told the news provider. "He just looks like he’s having a blast. The faster we go, the more fun he has."

Schelin has trained the dog to tolerate jumps, turns, dust and mud pits – all of the conditions that come with competitive motocross, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Despite the interesting and sometimes dangerous environment, Opee still remains in good dog health.

Although the duo has never actually won a race, they still do fairly well, all things considered. Throughout their tenure, Schelin and Opee have totaled more than 10,000 miles together on the bike.

Uno, a lovable Cocker Spaniel who still possesses a ton of energy, may be the new Guinness Book of World Records holder for World’s Oldest Dog.

The previous title holder was a 21-year-old Dachshund mix named Chanel, according to PeoplePets.com.

Uno beats out Chanel by a year, clocking in at 22-years old. Though the canine was adopted, his previous owners claimed he was born on January 1, 1988, which is why his age is still speculation.

Uno’s owner Cherie Gigliotti explains to the news source that the dog is quite "food motivated" and whenever he smells something tasty, he gets hysterical and energetic. Gigliotti believes it’s the quality food she’s been feeding him that’s kept him in good dog health.

"When he smells the food we’re bringing home, he bounds up and down and runs like he’s crazy," Gigliotti told the news provider. "It’s so fast you can’t catch him."

Gigliotti said she purees kibble with ground turkey, chicken and zucchini to help with the dog’s digestion.

Uno’s lifespan has far outlasted the normal Cocker Spaniel. According to the Dog Breed Info Center, the average lifespan for a Cocker Spaniel is between 12-15 years, seven years younger than Uno, who’s still going strong.

One couple and their dog escaped a fire in the middle of the night thanks to their pet cat. Baby, owned by Josh Ornberg and Letitia Kovalovsky, woke up her owners in the middle of the night when she noticed a fire in a bedroom.

"She [Kovalovsky] was pregnant and uncomfortable and fell asleep on the couch, so he [Ornberg] just said ‘I’ll just leave her there,’ " Asstitant chief Mike Weber of the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District, told the Northwest Herald."He then had a glass of milk or something like that and then he fell asleep."

When the fire began, Baby started bugging Ornberg so he would wake up, according to NewsBlaze.com. Ornberg quickly woke up Kovalovsky, gathered the family dog, and ran to safety. Ornberg tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher but failed, ultimately calling the fire department.

In the midst of the commotion, the hero of the hour, Baby, ran away in a panic and hasn’t been seen since. A strictly indoor cat, the couple is worried about their beloved family member and hope she will be returned in good cat health.