Fernwood Bakery on Maple Street in Galveston, Texas. Every morning at 8:10, the same thing happens. The door is propped open for deliveries. A tan mixed-breed with a gray muzzle walks in. Ignores the bread. Ignores the customers. Goes directly to the owner, Rosa, 67, who lost her husband of 41 years last spring. The dog, who the staff calls Dulce, stands up and wraps both paws around Rosa's shoulders. Holds for about fifteen seconds. Then leaves. This has happened every morning for six months. Rosa told us: "I don't know where she comes from. She won't take food. She won't stay. She just comes to hug me and then goes." Her daughter said: "Dulce started coming the week after the funeral. Same time. Every single day." Some things arrive exactly when they are needed most.
In 2012, Nicole Graham’s horse Astro became trapped in deep mud at Avalon Beach as the tide began rising.
She stayed beside him for about three hours, despite the cold, wet conditions, keeping his head above the mud and calming him while rescuers worked to free him. With the tide closing in, every minute mattered. Eventually, rescuers managed to pull Astro to safety.