Figo, a service dog and golden retriever, saved his owner’s life by leaping in front of an approaching school bus. Brewster Village Chief of Police John Del Gardo stated that he has seen dogs defend their owners from human intruders in the past, but this was his first time seeing a dog protect his owner from a moving vehicle.
Audrey Stone and her guide dog Figo were walking on North Main Street on a Monday morning when they were hit by a bus in the middle of the sidewalk, according to the police report. Del Gardo remembered Figo doing something noble and heroic just before the incident. He lunged at the bus, oblivious to his safety.
The incident injured Figo’s leg and paw and multiple injuries to Stone. But, even though he was hurt, he refused to leave her side when EMS arrived.
According to Moe DeSantis of the Fire Department, the bus carried two schoolchildren. Thankfully, neither the driver nor the terrified passengers were injured. However, the driver has already been summoned for failing to yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk.
Figo is doing well in his rehabilitation, according to Del Gardo, after undergoing surgery at Middlebranch Veterinary in Carmel, New York. On the other hand, Stone is still in the hospital, receiving treatment for three broken ribs, multiple fractures, and a head laceration.
Dr. LouAnn Pfeifer, the veterinarian caring for the eight-year-old Figo, said she was not surprised that Figo sacrificed himself for Stone because all service dogs are trained for this purpose. She went on to say that he is a good dog and one of their best patients. She stated that Figo would be in her care until Stone was discharged from the hospital.
Credit:?ABC News via YouTube
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