As much of the Northeast U.S. digs out from massive snow drifts this week, two rescue dogs dig their way even further into their human’s hearts.
Armed robbers targeting The Big A Store in Philadelphia’s Wissonoming section last Tuesday did not count on the manager’s lab springing into action.
Security video captured the moment “Bullet” leapt onto one of the would-be thieves, pushing him away from a clerk lying helpless on a couch. In that split second, the clerk drew the house gun and fired at one of the suspects, hitting him. That suspect returned fire errantly, striking the couch cushion beside the clerk’s head. However, the second suspect sprayed rounds from his semi-automatic weapon, hitting the clerk four times.
Bullet chased both suspects out of the store. The clerk was reportedly hospitalized in critical condition, but is expected to fully recover.
Store manager, Sammy Aloubehi, told a local CBS affiliate that the suspects had pointed guns at himself and the on-duty clerk, prompting Bullet to rush them. Aloubehi credits his dog for saving his and the clerk’s lives.
“If he [didn’t] move the guy, he would shoot the girl before she shoot him,” Aloubehi said.
Police have recovered one of the guns that the suspects left behind. The suspect hit by the clerk’s gunfire sought treatment at a local hospital where he was arrested. The other suspect remains at large.
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Move over, Nathan Chen. There’s a four-legged boy spinning new tricks on the icy rinks.
In New York City’s Central Park last Thursday, “Benny,” an eight-year-old rescued lab, wowed crowds with his own version of figure-eights. A hockey stick clamped in his mouth, Benny sliced across the ice and leapt over lined-up cones to raise money for the Animal Vision Foundation.
Years ago, Benny was a whisker away from never learning what it was like to be loved, let alone skate. That’s because Benny, as a puppy, was pulled from a Utah kill shelter just before his time ran out.
“We shared what rescue dogs can be,” Rick Vierkandt, Benny’s handler, said, adding that Benny’s skating is motivated by the smiles he brings to onlookers.
Benny’s rescuer, Cheryl Delsangro of Las Vegas, shared Benny’s passion for the ice with a local ABC affiliate: “He’ll just run on the ice whenever he wants and skate around after me and chase me around . .
Delsangro, a retired figure skater, was sure that she could train Benny to share her passion. That dream came true after a pair of double-track blades were made especially for Benny’s front paws.
“Benny was adorable and fun to skate with,” an unidentified girl said. “It was fun when I was doing my spin and he skated right by me.”
Benny has raised funds at national events promoting eye health and children with developmental disabilities. He is also the recipient of the American Kennel Club’s Exemplary Companion Award.
The fortune that Benny brings to each event far outweighs Olympic gold.