When Stéphanie Bigras dubbed her fluffy Bichon-Shih Tzu cross "Batman," she never dreamed he would turn into a genuine life-saving hero.
Was dog owner Mario Trottier aware that his golden doodle, Archie, would someday rescue people?
Now, both valiant canines have secured their place in the Quebec's Animal Hall of Fame.
On Friday afternoon, seven-year-old Archie and three-year-old Batman received their awards during a ceremony held annually by the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ) at the Montréal Palais des congrès.
Both canines appeared delighted to receive their accolades, swinging their tails as they stepped onto the platform.
Bigras said she was “so touched” by Batman’s bravery after he saved her life in a house fire in February 2023.
She had left her air fryer on her stovetop, which she accidentally turned on when trying to bake a pizza.
“She mentioned going downstairs to fold laundry,” she explained, stating that she had forgotten about the pizza. According to Bigras, she lacks a sense of smell, which is why she didn’t detect any smoke, despite her kitchen being consumed by fire.
"(Batman) began to yap oddly. Given we're accustomed to our pets, I can discern their barking patterns, yet this didn't seem normal. It sounded far more urgent," Bigras explained.
When she went to check on Batman upstairs, she saw a fire had spread from her stovetop to her kitchen cabinets, and luckily managed to escape with Batman and her cat through the back alley.
Her family home was demolished and required nine months for reconstruction, yet Batman had rescued her from death.
In June 2024, the second heroic dog named Archie was out for a stroll with his owner, Trottier, when he abruptly darted into a shrub over 100 meters ahead and started barking intensely.
Trottier mentioned that this behavior was out of character for Archie, who he characterized as a "very well-behaved pet."
When Trottier finally reached the golden doodle, he found an elderly woman in her 50s sprawled on the ground, hardly aware of anything around her.
"I recall it being an extremely hot day—around 40 degrees," Trottier stated, adding that he thinks the woman was experiencing heatstroke.
Thanks to Archie’s intuition, Trottier managed to dial 911, and the emergency medical team showed up within minutes.
Archie and Batman are the 55th and 56th outstanding dogs to be inducted into the Quebec Animal Hall of Fame, joining alongside six cats and two horses.
The award ceremony was established in 1998 by Dr. Michel Pepin, a veterinarian and communication specialist with the AMVQ, drawing inspiration from the Canadian Animal Hall of Fame.
Although this year’s honorees are both household pets, veterinarian Valérie Bissonnette from the AMVQ noted that working service animals and police K-9 units typically receive these awards.
"It simply underscores the significance of their efforts and highlights how truly irreplaceable these non-human beings are," stated Bissonnette as he bestowed the awards upon the two dogs.
She pointed out that it is less common for two "heroes," or lifesaving animals, to be awarded the prize.
True heroes aren't all that common. It's not an everyday occurrence for someone to be nominated for a heroic role.
The AMVQ awards ceremony also recognized an organization, La clinique des jeunes de la rue, presenting them with a $1,000 cash award during the Friday event in honor of their remarkable efforts in assisting vulnerable and homeless young people with pet care.
"We understand that the affection of a pet owner isn’t determined by their wealth," she stated.