We've all heard the old saying, "a dog is man's best friend." Those of us who love and live with our Boxers believe it without hesitation, because it's true. Sometimes we find ourselves so wrapped up in the day-to-day struggles of earning a living, raising children or pursuing our hobbies that we often take this quiet unassuming friendship for granted. Our canine companions, however, always manage to remind us of their devotion and intelligence in some very miraculous ways. This story is one of those miracles.

Mary Francis Davis is a seventy-seven-year-old woman who lives in Sapulpa, Oklahoma with her daughter, Billie Jean Davis, and two boxers, "Lucky" and "Clay." Being a workingwoman, Billie Jeans, relies on Lucky and Clay to provide their "Granny" with companionship and lots of love during the day. Forty-three years ago Mary Francis received a severe head injury, an injury which left her with a speech impediment and partial paralysis of her right arm and leg. As she has aged, she has also developed severe arthritis in her legs and joints. She manages to get around the house with the use of a walker. To keep in touch with Billie Jean during the day, Mary Francis carries a cordless phone in a pouch. The phone, in its pouch, hangs from the metal support bar of her walker. In addition to companionship, Lucky and Clay provide Mary Francis with stimuli during the day. They play and interact with her and she lets them out periodically to exercise and relieve themselves. She reports their activities throughout the day via the phone to Billie Jean. Being "responsible" for the "boys" has also given Mary Francis a source of self-esteem and accomplishment as she realizes her boxer buddies depend a little on her as well.

On April 7, 1997, Billie Jean left for work as usual and made the twenty-five minute drive to Tulsa. At approximately 11:50 A.M., Mary Francis made her way to the bathroom, lost her balance and fell. When Mary Francis fell, she landed opposite of her walker and well out of reach of her telephone. As she landed on her crippled knees, her scream of pain aroused Lucky who had been napping in the living room. He responded to her cries, entered the bathroom and went to her side. Fortunately, Mary Francis had not closed the door behind her as she entered the bathroom. She continued her cries of pain and desperately tried to get to her phone to call for help. Mary Francis pleaded to the only one who could hear her, Lucky. She told him, "Lucky, I need the phone, get me the phone!" At first Lucky didn't respond and continued to stand at her side. Again Mary Francis repeated her command, "Lucky, get me the phone!" This time Lucky understood. He went over to the walker and without hesitation began to nudge the telephone with his nose until if fell out of its pouch onto the floor. After it landed on the floor, Lucky nudged the phone along the floor closer and closer to Mary Francis. Finally, the phone was within her reach and Mary Francis was able to pick up the phone and call Billie Jean for help.

After receiving her mother's urgent call, Billie Jean rushed home and with the assistance of a neighbor, they were able to save Mary Francis from her misfortune. As Billie Jean surveyed the situation she began to wonder how her mother had been able to get the phone. Mary Francis had been down on her knees, her right leg bent under her body, her chest was hanging over the edge of the bath tub and she was slumped face down. Her walker was behind her some three feet away. Her mother was too upset to question right then and Billie Jean was more concerned about her mother's condition to dwell on solving the puzzle. There were no broken bones but Mary Francis was, and still is, bruised and sore from her horrible fall. Billie Jean realized immediately, the situation could have been much more grave and thanked God that her mother was able to get to her phone. Later that evening as the household went back to normal, Billie Jean finally began to question her mother about how she got her phone and soon realized she had someone besides God to thank.

She questioned her mother, "Mama, explain to me how you reached the phone after you fell today?" Mary Francis gathered up her best abilities and in broken words explained, "the dog got it for me." In disbelief Billie Jean asked, "Are you saying one of our dogs went into the bathroom, got the phone out of the pouch and gave it to you?" Mary Francis replied, "Yes." Billie Jean then asked, "Which dog, Lucky or Clay?" "Lucky," was Mary Francis' reply and she proceeded to tell Billie Jean this incredible story of her "hero" dog.