When dogs get stuck in dangerous situations, this man swoops in for the rescue

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - “I had to abandon my rope. We’re still safe with the dog in my backpack over here,” said Kona’s Kawika Singson while videotaping one of his daring dog rescues.

The self-described outdoor adventurer is getting national notoriety for his volunteer retrievals of Big Island dogs who got themselves stuck in dangerous situations. But up until now, it was mainly the people who follow him on social media who knew about his mercy missions.

“One day I just went and I answered a distress call for a dog that was lost or possibly went over a cliff down into the gulch,” he said.

That rescue led to another and another and another. He has done five of them in the past couple of years, rappelling down steep cliffs and descending into lava tubes to retrieve canines trapped themselves in precarious places.

His military background and athletic lifestyle come in handy.

“I’m very capable of going after these animals,” he said.

When Hawaii island’s Animal Control staff can’t perform a rescue, he gets the call. He has saved all kinds of wildlife, but wayward dogs are his most amazing saves.

So far, so good.

“I’m 100% so far,” he said. “I’m glad that every dog I’ve gone after I’ve managed to retrieve.”

His work just earned him a pretty cool honor. Singson is the first “human hero” ever to be recognized by the nationally broadcast show “Dogs of the Year” which highlights amazing dog stories.

“I’m very flattered,” he said.

Singson is quick to point out that he values all creatures big and small. And you know that thing about a dog’s sixth sense? He sees it firsthand in every dog he rescues.

“Almost every dog that I went down and got, as soon as I had the dog in my arms, you can feel the dog just breathe a huge sigh of relief as it relaxes in my arms. It’s a beautiful feeling,” he said.

Singson has his own show on local TV called “Everything Hawaii” where he airs his adventures in the great outdoors. But it’s his dog rescue stories that get the most reaction from his social media followers.

“That totally makes my day,” he said.

If the canines he saves could talk, they’d probably say the same thing.

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