Animal Planet to kick off ?Saved? from 14 November

MUMBAI: A man contemplating suicide never could have dreamed that a four-pound dachshund would save his life. And the death of a young American soldier shattered the hopes and dreams of the family and fianc?e he left behind, but one stray puppy helped put the pieces of their lives back together.

US broadcaster Animal planet has announced that from 14 November it will telecast ?Saved?. The six-part series will try to prove that animals have the power to transform human lives. Each story reveals people eclipsed by their darkest hours who then find light and hope in the purest of forms - animals.Some might call it divine intervention; others might call it a miracle as every animal in ?Saved? gives his/her human family the greatest gift of all: a second chance at
life.

Animal Planet president, GM Marjorie Kaplan said, "We all have heard stories where animals are heroes in the physical sense, rescuing people from a fire or a near drowning. The stories that haven?t been told are the ones where animals save us in the emotional sense, and that?s where ?Saved? comes in. Each story shows how pets extraordinarily bond with their owners, breaking through emotional barriers and giving them new meaning and purpose in life."

Army Spc. Justin Rollins was killed in Iraq. But on the last day of his life, he was overjoyed when he and his unit found 15 stray puppies outside an Iraqi police station. The unit snapped photos of themselves with the puppies, which Justin planned to send to Brittney, his fianc?e.

Unfortunately, he was killed in combat before getting the chance. Shortly after, Brittney received the photos from a unit sergeant?s girlfriend and shared them with Justin?s parents. Seeing Justin smiling with the pups and recognising his genuine happiness, Justin?s parents and Brittney knew they had to find these puppies and bring one home immediately. But even before receiving the puppy that was going to join her family, Rhonda selected the name - Hero - in honor of Justin?s bravery.

"I really believe Justin saved Hero?s life, and in turn, Hero saved us," says Justin?s mother, Rhonda Rollins. "I wanted that puppy from Iraq. I wanted the one my son held. It?s the last thing that gave him a bit of happiness the night he was killed."

Other ?Saved? stories include a Yorkshire terrier that saved a
traumatised child in the aftermath of 9/11, as well as a Dalmatian that helped a family cope with the loss of firefighter sons who responded to the attack on the Twin Towers. In addition, episodes of ?Saved? features a young man who escaped the violence of gang life through a deep love of horses and a veteran whose German shepherd helped him deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.