Merle is a 65-pound Golden Retriever from Evansville, Indiana. One day when she was out with her pet buddy Sam, she fell through the ice while chasing a stick. Terrified that his dog was in trouble, 10-year-old Glenn "Sam" Henderson tried to save her. But, he fell in as well. A neighbor heard his cries for help, luckily, and called the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department.
   
Witnesses credit Merle with saving Sam's life. "We've never had anything quite like this. The whole time it looked like the dog was behind him, nudging him, keeping him up and pushing him toward the ice," said Goeff L. Rupe, medical officer for the fire department. "Once we got Sam into the boat, the only thing he said was, 'Get my dog.'"
   
Unhurt despite this ice plunge, Merle swan to the shore, and waited on the bank while Sam was rowed to safety. She continued pacing nervously waiting outside of the ambulance while Sam was stripped, dried off, and wrapped in a blanket. Sam had to be rushed to Deaconess Hospital so he could be treated for his hypothermia. Sam and Merle were reunited at home. "We'll have to find a nice steak bone for Merle," said Sam's father. As for Sam, Mr. Henderson said, "He can have whatever he wants to eat today but, much to his dislike, he's got some homework to do."