By unrelenting barking at her belly, a dog saved the life of her pregnant owner.

32. Hero Pit Bull

She saved her owner from a vicious male assailant, so this Pit Bull received the prestigious Dog of the Year Award in 2008. Angela Marcelino, Maya's owner and single mother as well, was attacked on her way home from commemorating her birthday. She didn't understand how helpless she was against the attacker's attempt to push himself onto her until she saw Maya. Maya was told to start an attack, and the dog—who seemed to be totally innocent—launched a violent attack that drove the male assailant to leave.