It begins with the simplest gestures of compassion. An Ohio fisherman lowers an open palm to a drowning American robin and warms the fledgling by a lakeside fire until it flies away the next morning. A Texas obstetrics nurse negotiates with a man to release his badly neglected, nearly starving Labrador and then pays for surgery to remove the puppy sized collar embedded in his full grown neck. A Serbian schoolteacher can’t bear to watch a stray cat tunneling through snowdrifts during a bitter winter storm, so she captures the cat and gives him sanctuary in her house can find him a good home. These are real moments, defining moments that transform ordinary animal lovers into something more. Some might even call them heroes because for an instant these rescuers felt the weight of the lake on a young bird, the ache of an empty stomach in a very hungry dog and the sting of snow against the body of a gentle orange cat. And most importantly, they decided to do something about it. Today I'll introduce you to 5 special heroes who's courage and compassion will leave you with goose bumps... Read next feature >