Rover to the Rescue

By Clayton Neuman

Ever wish that your dog or cat could do a little bit more for you than sleep, eat and lick itself? Well, some animals can. Lately, a few--tame and wild--have made news by giving back and changing lives. Take a peep at these philanthropets, which have proved to be truly man's best friends.

CAT CALLS Tommy's elderly owner tried to teach him to speed-dial 911. He didn't know if it had worked until he fell last month, and the cat rang for help

BIRD AS A WIRE According to the London papers, Chris Taylor learned the name of his girlfriend's secret beau when his parrot chirped, "I love you, Gary." He got rid of both

SNIFFING OUT TROUBLE Scientists at a small California clinic said last week they had trained dogs to confirm diagnoses of lung and breast cancer by sniffing patients' breath samples. Skeptical but intrigued, experts say it's not time to swap lab tests for Labradors

LENDING A FIN Fishermen in Indonesia reported that just before the 2004 tsunami hit, a school of dolphins pushed their boat to deeper, safer water

TAIWANESE RETRIEVER A woman in Taiwan owes her baby's life to her pooch, which pulled the drowning newborn from a toilet. The mother had passed out during an unexpected solo childbirth