Shelter dog comes to aid of her walker
A homeless Rhodesian Ridgeback mix being walked by a volunteer came to her aid when she was attacked on a path behind the Friends of Strays animal shelter in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The 38-pound dog, named Mabeline, scared the attacker off, allowing the 17-year-old girl to escape.
Volunteering at the shelter on a recent Saturday, the girl was chased, grabbed by the hair and pinned down before Mabeline scared the attacker away.
Michael Bacon, a registered sexual predator, was arrested, WTSP-10 in Florida reported.
Since the attack, Mabeline has been adopted. Her new owner, Mary Callahan, had no idea what the dog had done, until 10 News told her.
“I looked at my dog and I thought, ‘You are a hero,’” Callahan said.
The shelter said they are no longer allowing volunteers to walk dogs down the path where the attack happened.
Posted by jwoestendiek March 26th, 2012 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, arrested, dog, dogs, florida, friends of strays, mabeline, mix, pets, rescues, rhodesian, ridgeback, safety, sexual predator, shelter, shelters, st. petersburg, volunteer
Comment from KateH
Time March 26, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Why can’t the shelter continue to have dogs be walked, but, hey, try having at least 2 people doing it together!?!? Now they’re punishing the dogs (and the volunteers) for someone else’s dickishness, when they could be changing things so the animals and the volunteers still ‘win.’ Idiots!