Dog pulls owner off railroad tracks

[jnelsoninjax]

Boston (WCVB/CNN) - A Massachusetts pit bull saved her owner from an oncoming freight train, risking life and limb, to pull her off the tracks.

The woman survived, but the dog is severely injured.

David Lanteigne has adored this pit bull since recuing Lilly from a shelter to be a companion for his mom who suffers from alcoholism.

"We saved her life and she saved my mom's life," he said.

It was midnight last Wednesday when his mom fell unconscious on train tracks in Shirley.

"Lilly was either pushing or pulling my mother off the tracks," said Lanteigne. "There wasn't enough time and that just prior to the train making impact Lilly had intentionally gotten between the train and my mother and had taken the hit."

The entire hit. Eight-year-old Lilly suffered severe trauma. David's mother was uninjured.

[Reporter]: "Will this dog be able to walk again?"

"Yes she should be able to walk quite well. They accommodate quite well to having a front limb amputation," said the veterinarian.

Lanteigne, a Boston police officer, will be with her every step of the way.

"I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm supposed to be here for her, but she's been so great, so tough through all this. It almost seems like she's the one comforting me and being there for me and making me feel better," he said.

Source

[Hum]

God bless this dog. :happy:

[pmrd]

Who's a good dog

[Ently]

Aww what a sweet dog! I love animals <3 They have such big hearts!

[Farstrider]

Awesome story, my daughter is mad about her Pitt Bull and will go all weepy when she reads this tale of bravery! What I'd like to know is what was this person doing on railway tracks and why did this woman become "unconscious" at this particular juncture? Please excuse the pun, it's not intentional!

Edit:

who suffers from alcoholism.

OK sorry, in other words she passed out! She's basically a **** cat. Good grief!

[DocM]

Great dog, and good thing it was a pit bull because of their massive strength. They usually get a bad rap.

Lilly deserves a steak, as in one every damned day as long as she lives.

[Hum]

$76,000 donated for medical care of 'hero' pit bull

BOSTON -- Money has poured in from around the world for medical care for a pit bull named Lilly, who has been hailed as a hero after she pulled her unconscious owner from the path of a freight train last week.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said $76,000 have been donated since the engineer of a westward-bound freight train saw a dog pulling a woman away from the tracks in the early hours of May 3 in Shirley.

The engineer tried to stop, but couldn't avoid hitting the 8-year-old dog.

The woman, identified as Christine Spain, wasn't hurt, but the train's wheels sliced through Lilly's right foot, fractured her pelvis in multiple locations and caused other internal injuries.

When EMTs arrived at the scene, Lilly was covered in blood but still standing guard over her owner, who had collapsed next to the tracks while walking home from a friend?s house.

The dog was initially taken to an emergency animal hospital in Acton, and she was then taken by Spain's son, Boston police Officer David Lanteigne, to Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.

Lilly's medical bills will total $15,000. The remainder of the money will go into the MSPCA Pet Care Assistance Fund.

Lanteigne said he had adopted the dog for his mother three years before, and Lilly's companionship helped curb her drinking.

"Lilly's recovery from this horrific ordeal is my top priority right now, and I'll do everything possible to get her back home to us," he said earlier this week.

Lilly will be released from the medical center on Saturday.

source

[jnelsoninjax]

Wow! That is incredible! So glad to here that there is still some shred of humanity who cares for animals!

[Growled Member]

Incredible dog.

[Shiranui]

Just make sure her owner doesn't drink up all that money.

[DocM]

Part going to her bills, part to the MSPCA - doesn't sound like that'll be a problem.

Still think they should set some aside for Lily to have a steak now and then - she richly deserves it after dragging her owner off the tracks and still having the moxie to stand guard even after being hit. That's loyalty by the truck-load.