The story begins when Michael Bosch picks up Honey, an English Cocker Spaniel puppy from the pound, when her owner could no longer afford to take care of her. He named the little puppy Honey and the two became fast friends. Honey often accompanied Bosch on rides in his white SUV around Marin County, CA.
One day, after only having Honey for two weeks, Bosch began backing his SUV on his property and dropped 50 feet down a steep ravine and landed the SUV on the roof. Bosch was pinned to the vehicle by a tree and had injured both of his legs. He knew that his vehicle was out of sight from the main road and that he was at least a quarter mile from his nearest neighbor; so he knew that Honey was his only hope.
Honey had not been injured in the fall and Bosch was hopeful that the five-month-old Spaniel would know what to do. He told the dog to go for help and she jumped out of the window.
The little dog ran a half mile through the thick and dense forest and ended up at the doorstep of neighbor, Robin Allen. The Spaniel pawed at Allen, whimpered and urged her to follow. Allen did follow and was able to alert rescue crews. As emergency personnel worked to free Bosch, Allen says that Honey was "pacing like a worried parent." Emergency personnel say that Bosch would not have survived without the quick action of Honey.
Because of her act of heroism, Honey was chosen as National Dog Day Hero Dog of the Year. National Dog Day is August 26th and it celebrates dogs of all breeds and types and raises public awareness of the many dogs that need to be rescued.