There's nothing like a compassionate hero to help warm you up this winter. Better yet, this story involves two heroes — and one has a wagging tail.
It all started when a man named Denis Malafeyev received an urgent call on Christmas day.
Over the phone, a friend told him about a pair of dogs that wouldn't give up on life or each other.
Malafeyev arrived at the scene after he was told that the dogs were spotted on a set of train tracks for two days in Tseglovka, a small village in Ukraine.
It was then that Malafeyev located the dogs.
One of them, whom he later named Lucy, was seriously injured. She was left in pain and virtually immobile after a previous run in with a train.
Fortunately, her friend Panda was there to comfort her and make sure she would survive, even if that meant staying on the tracks with her.
Malafeyev saw the protective Panda and an injured Lucy atop a set of train tracks. "Several attempts to remove the animal off the rails were in vain," he explained in his Facebook post.
Panda wouldn't let a soul near his injured friend, but he was making sure she was cared for.
Panda and Lucy had been on the tracks for two days after a train hit her. After Denis had arrived, it was clear that another train was rapidly racing down the tracks towards the dogs. Then, something truly amazing happened.
Denis recalled in his post: "Both animals lowered their heads and pressed them to the ground as the train passed."
Panda guided Lucy down as low as she could go to avoid getting injured again. If you look closely, you can see the two dogs huddled for safety beneath the moving train. The act of utter bravery showed how loyal these canine friends were to each other.
According to The Dodo, "Malafeyev, who often helps dogs in distress, was finally able to earn Panda's trust and get close enough to pick up Lucy from the tracks."
He was able to remove Lucy from the dangerous spot she had been living in for the past two days and give her a second chance. Malafeyev gently placed Lucy and Panda in the back of his car for warm safekeeping.
Malafeyev (left) and his accompanying partners didn't forget to pose for a quick photo after rescuing Lucy and Panda. Thanks to Panda's tenderness and Malafeyev's quick thinking, Lucy will live to see another day, far away from any trains.
