Everywhere in the world, we can observe and be touched by acts of kindness. People from all walks of life, faiths, and cultures extend themselves beyond the call of duty to help others unconditionally. Through their noble deeds, humanity as a whole is elevated.

To commend virtuous actions and encourage more people to be inspired by their examples, Supreme Master Ching Hai has lovingly created a series of awards, including the Shining World Leadership Award, Shining World Compassion Award, Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award, Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Inventor Award, to recognize some of the most exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous people who walk amongst us.

Today we honor two exemplary canines who selflessly serve their human companions. Let’s first travel to New Zealand to meet a Staffordshire Terrier named Fiji and her caregiver, Shirley Mulvihill to learn about Fiji’s heroic act at the young age of eight months. It occurred one night when Ms. Mulvihill was asleep and her house began to burn.

I was in bed asleep and, the next thing I knew Fiji was up on the bed and licking my face.

And that’s when I realized it was on fire. So luckily we got out, and just as we did get out, my bedroom went up (in flames).

And so when she woke you up, she was on your bed licking your face. (yeah) And did you know something was wrong straightaway?

Yes, because it was all smoky and black stuff floating around.

So the house was basically engulfed in flames.

Yeah, I got to the sitting room and just managed to ring the fire brigade and we had to get out.

When I went to the phone, I couldn’t go past a certain point in the room because it was just too hot.

So she could have just got out, but she was straight to your room to wake you up. Oh, that’s great.

Yes she was, it was wonderful.

How did Fiji come to be Ms. Mulvihill’s companion?

B. J., that’s my brother in law, he gave me a choice of the pups. And out of all the pups, she came out and started walking towards me, so I claimed her. She was the quietest one, too.

For her noble act of loyalty and love, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Fiji with the Shining World Hero Award and sent a beautifully framed letter of recognition from which the following is an excerpt:

Dear Fiji, It is with much pleasure and gratitude that we present to you the “Shining World Hero Award.” This Award is presented in recognition of your extraordinary acute senses, attentiveness, and for your lifesaving actions, protecting your companion and providing us all with a shining example of God’s blessed gift to humankind, our wonderful canine friends.

Ms. Mulvihill told a local news reporter, “My house is gone, but we are both alive thanks to Fiji.” God bless you, brave Fiji, for your heroic act in protecting your kind caregiver. We pray that you and Ms. Mulvihill will very soon be sharing many joyous times together in a new and comfortable residence.

For your outstanding, lifesaving action and concern for the safety of your caregiver, and for demonstrating your unconditional love and devotion, to being a human’s best friend, we hereby applaud and celebrate the heroic deeds of super Staffordshire puppy, Fiji. There we go. That’s for you, and you both.

(Thank you.)

Our local Association members also presented Fiji with an array of gifts from Supreme Master Ching Hai, including a dog bed, Happy Doggie vegan dog bones, a Heroine t-shirt and a re-usable bag imprinted with the motto, “Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!”

In addition, Fiji received Supreme Master Ching Hai’s #1 international bestsellers “The Noble Wilds” and “The Birds in My Life” as well as “From Crisis to Peace” and other books along with a selection of her CDs and DVDs, including “The King & Co.” With her love and hugs Supreme Master Ching Hai also provided Fuji and her caregiver with US$1,000 to help start anew.

Supreme Master Ching Hai, thank you very, very much. We really appreciate all your help.

Our next canine hero is Toby, a Golden hearted Retriever who was just two years old when he performed an amazing life-saving act for his mom, Debbie Parkhurst, causing him to be named the 2007 American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Dog of the Year. He came to Ms. Parkhurst’s home as a four-week-old puppy rescued from a trash dumpster.

I’m beginning to believe that animals are actually more intelligent than we are sometimes, caring, spiritual, the spirit inside of them, and they have to teach humans, because that’s what happened with Toby. With Toby, I learned to slow down, enjoy my life, enjoy my husband, enjoy my other dogs.

Every day I feel like it’s a gift. Every day I want to be better. I want to live better. I want to be better. And since that time I found love in helping rescue animals, and that’s the love that I feel. It’s a very warm, spiritual love every day when I wake up.

Now what did Toby do to transform Debbie Parkhurst’s outlook?

I remember the day I was making jewelry. That’s what I do. He had settled down like he was expecting company and I went into the kitchen to get an apple. I have my entire life, because of my father, I always peeled the apples. So that day when I got the apple, I decided to leave the skin on because I had just finished an article: That’s where all the nutrition was. So it got lodged and I started to choke. I started to panic. I couldn’t breathe at all. I ran into the kitchen. I did, tried to do the Heimlich over a chair and it didn’t work. I couldn’t breathe.

At that point, I started to panic. I remember I started to beat on my chest. But I remember looking up and seeing Toby run down the hallway and he doesn’t jump on me. He jumped up with the two paws, one on each side, very gently though. He put me down on the ground. And he came down on my chest two times.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me what went through my mind that time. The first thing was, “Toby, this is not a good time to play,” was the first thing. But I knew it was a much higher level. I knew it was very spiritual. As soon as I started to breathe, I felt a warm sensation over my body that I was just given a second chance in life. Yeah, and then that’s when Toby started to lick my face.

Besides saving his mom from choking, Toby also performed another extraordinary act of rescue.

It’s been 11 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, and I was in remission. When Toby jumped on me to save my life, he left a paw mark right here, over my heart, so I always, I joked around that I had a paw print on my heart. It wouldn’t go away, the bruise didn’t go away. When I went for an MRI, CAT scan, that’s when they found out I had reverse breast cancer, it was going into my lung. So not only did he save me once, he saved me twice.

And then Toby was diagnosed with cancer. So we healed together. We healed together, yes. He’s been in remission for about two years, still in remission. But last May (2010), because his leg was deformed from being thrown in a dumpster and he didn’t have proper nutrition at that time, his leg broke it was just so deformed. So he ended up, because of the cancer being in a joint, we had his leg removed last May. He’s doing fantastic.

For his timely, intelligent actions, Supreme Master Ching Hai honored Toby with the Shining World Hero Award.

Thank you. It’s beautiful. I just want to say thank you from Toby and I, especially Toby. Thank you so much for this, it’s beautiful.

Toby was also presented with a Happy Doggie jacket with a message embroidered on the back which says “Toby the Hero from Supreme Master Ching Hai with Love” and a beautifully framed letter of admiration from Supreme Master Ching Hai, the following of which is an excerpt:

Dear Toby, It is both an honor and a real pleasure to present to you the “Shining World Hero Award,” in recognition of your extraordinary medical insight. This insight, combined with your attentive and life-saving devotion to your human caregiver, offers humanity a truly fine example of how animals are sent down from the lofty highs of Heaven as a great gift to us.

For your outstanding and quick-thinking intelligence; for the heavenly beauty in your unconditional love, for the unassuming humility in your fidelity, and especially for knowing just what to do when you were needed most, we hereby applaud and celebrate the heroic deeds of super canine Toby Parkhurst M.D. (Medicine Dog!) With Best Wishes and All My Love, Supreme Master Ching Hai

In addition, Toby received Supreme Master Ching Hai’s books “The Birds in My Life,” “The Noble Wilds,” “The Love of Centuries,” “The Realization of Health” and others, along with a selection of her DVDs and a “Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet” bag. Finally she provided US$200 to purchase veggie treats for Toby. Ms. Parkhurst has a message for Supreme Master Ching Hai.

I want to say thank you. This is amazing. I think this is going to change not only Toby’s life, but my life. I have a lot to learn and I want to read up on what she has. I appreciate this Award, and I appreciate her noticing my Toby, and for me, too, thank you.

Our joy and respect go to Fiji and Toby for the faithful, loving actions on behalf of their caregivers. May their benevolent deeds continue to inspire us and strengthen the bonds between humans and animals.

Spirited viewers, thank you for joining us on today’s program. Coming up next is Enlightening Entertainment, after Noteworthy News, here on Supreme Master Television. May the love of our animal companions encourage us to make more compassionate lifestyle choices.