Take me to the river.

One sunny afternoon, Steve loaded up his German Shepherds, Harley and Honey, for some much-needed playtime. They were headed to a picturesque spot by a shallow river outlet—a perfect playground for the dogs to splash around and enjoy a game of fetch. With Harley and Honey, every outing was an adventure, but little did they know today would be anything but ordinary.

As they neared the river, Steve spotted a mom and her little boy setting up some chairs on the opposite bank. Harley and Honey were unusually restless, their excitement palpable. Maybe it was the fresh scents drifting in through the open window or the thrill of getting muddy, but they could hardly contain themselves.

Then, without warning, Honey leaped out of the open window! Almost immediately, Harley followed suit, bounding out of the car as soon as Steve opened his door. Panic surged through Steve as he called out to them, his heart racing.

“Harley! Honey! Come back!” he shouted, but his voice was lost in the sound of splashing as Honey dashed across the stream, Harley right behind her.

Steve watched, his stomach in knots, as the dogs reached the grassy area. Harley positioned himself, rear toward the mom and child, as he faced the grass and trees. Honey, meanwhile, took a different angle, heading toward the tall grass. Then, Steve’s heart sank. He spotted a raccoon behaving oddly, heading straight toward Harley and the family. “Harley! Honey! Come!” he yelled, his voice laced with urgency.

But Harley and Honey were already on a mission. In the blink of an eye, Honey pounced on the unsuspecting raccoon. What followed was a chaotic whirl of fur and growls, a flurry of energy that rolled toward the mom and her little boy. Harley, ever the protector, positioned himself between the chaos and the family, creating a safe zone in case the raccoon broke free.

Steve hurried across the shallow stream, desperately calling for his dogs. “Honey! Harley! Come!” he shouted, his concern mounting.

Honey had the raccoon firmly in her grip. With a powerful shake, she seized it by the nape of its neck and flung it away, sending the animal tumbling into the grass. For a moment, everything froze—a wide-eyed mom and her child, two vigilant German Shepherds scanning the area for further threats, and Steve, frantically tugging at the dogs’ collars to get them to move.

For several tense moments, Honey and Harley stood together, alert and ready to spring into action if the raccoon returned. But as the threat faded, the dogs sensed it too. Just like that, they relaxed, their muscles softening and tails wagging as they turned back to Steve, eager to resume their fun.

The mom approached, her initial fear slowly turning into gratitude. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “Did you see that raccoon? It could have attacked us! Thank you for your dogs!” Noticing Honey’s somewhat grisly appearance, she asked if the dogs were okay. Indeed, Honey had some fur and blood on her face, but she seemed unharmed.

After ensuring the area was safe, the mom called the police to report the incident to animal control. At first, the officer scolded Steve for having his dogs off-leash, but the mom quickly intervened. “I can’t believe you’re giving him a hard time about his dogs! They were protecting me and my son, and they don’t even know us!”

Sure, dogs should be on a leash, but this was a unique situation. Steve loved taking the dogs to this secluded spot precisely because they rarely encountered other people.

Eventually, animal control found the dead raccoon, which was sent for rabies testing. It turned out to be rabid. (Don’t worry—we keep our pups up to date on all their vaccines!)

That day at the river was more than just fetch and splashes; it was a powerful reminder of the bond between humans and their canine companions. Harley and Honey weren’t just great adventure buddies—they were protectors and heroes, instinctively putting themselves in harm's way before anyone even sensed a threat.