As I walked down my street my German Shepard Ellie chased the falling yellow, orange, and red leaves with colossal energy. My beautiful Ellie she is one of the prettiest dogs you’ll ever see, and one of the most extraordinary dogs I have met. See Ellie is no normal dog she means everything to me, not because she’s my best friend but because she protected my Dad’s life. My father is a sergeant in the U.S. Army and went on three tours in Afghanistan. But on one sweltering, dry day in July my Dad and his team were assigned to a mission outside of their base. They arrived at the city they were assigned to. It was empty which was very odd because usually it was filled with crowds of people. They walked around checking things out and searching for anyone, but there was nobody. It was quite peaceful for once, it was motionless. Utterly different from the warzone they had been in for six months. In a split second it all changed though, Ellie came running to my father barking, my father knew something was very wrong. When Ellie barked it was like her warning to my father something was very astray. He and his team got out of there as nimbly as they could. The city was engulfed in flames by the time they got out of there. It had been an IED. On that sweltering hot day in July Ellie saved my Father’s life. Without her I don’t know where I would be today. Walking down that street I saw Ellie running around just like an angel, my guardian angel.