Good boy. Excellent boy. Moral boy. Altruistic boy. Ok...maybe just a good boy, but still.
Meet Jack, a black Labrador Retriever who, as a hunting dog, usually dives into ponds to retrieve ducks or other birds that a hunter has downed over water. This time, however, he was on a much different mission. When a baby bird fell out of its nest and ended up floundering in the water, Jack rushed out and brought it back safe and sound, with his owner Rick Sauer claiming that Jack knew full well the difference between a bird in distress and one from a hunt.
Labs are both bred and trained to have a "soft mouth," so they can bring birds back without any bite marks or injury. Normally, this is so that they don't mess up a hunter's dinner, but it really comes in handy for adorable rescue missions as well.
As you may know, touching baby birds is a no-no, but Rick Sauer explained that since both the bird and his hands were soaked, he didn't leave any scent, and he was able to safely return the bird to its nest.
Good boy, Jack. I hope they cook you up a big adult bird as a reward.
(by Johnny McNulty)