Brave Pit Bull locked onto an attacker during late-night robbery — then his owner made one desperate promise to escape

She noted that her pup, usually the sweetest and most affectionate, had never acted like this before.

PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO

(L) An aggressive pitbull barking. (R) Man threatening a lady with a knife. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Andre Valentim, (R) Juanmonino)

A late-night walk took a terrifying turn for one woman in Essex, England, but her loyal dog turned out to be the hero she didn’t know she needed. What started as a simple act of giving directions turned into a moment that would change her life and reveal the incredible instincts of a protective pet. When the woman was confronted by two robbers, her pet canine stepped in, saving her life.

Woman hugging a black pitbull dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Ladanifer) — Woman hugging a black pitbull dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Ladanifer)

The incident occurred on April 5, 2021, in Southend-on-Sea, a coastal town in Essex. Amy Edmondson, a then 30-year-old mother of one, was walking her Pit Bull and Jack Russell mix, Star, when she was approached by a man and a woman asking for directions. “While I was talking to the woman, the man just jumped on my back, pushing me to the ground and held a knife to my throat,” Edmondson told The Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. The attackers demanded money, “They kept saying, give me your money, where's your money, we need your money.”

A man stealing a woman's purse. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Peter Dazeley — A man stealing a woman's purse. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Peter Dazeley)

Pinned to the ground and terrified, Edmondson feared the worst, not just for herself, but for her then 9-year-old son, Riley. “All I was thinking was that my son was going to grow up without a mum and my dog was going to be without me,” she said. But Star had other plans. As the situation escalated, Edmondson let go of the dog’s leash. That’s when Star sprang into action, biting at the attacker and refusing to let go. “I was on the floor for what felt like forever. But then I let go of my dog’s lead and she just jumped on him and started biting his leg,” she recalled in conversation with The Mirror. The woman attacker had then already fled the scene, and the male attacker began to panic, pleading, “Get this f*****g dog off me!”

A young girl holding a pitbull (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Sneksy) — A young girl holding a pitbull. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Sneksy)

Star’s protective instincts gave Edmondson the chance to escape. She promised to call Star off if the man let her go. Once he did, the male robber also ran away from the scene. “I told him he needed to get off of me so I could get my dog off of him. After that, he obviously panicked and ran away too.” Despite the frightening encounter, Edmondson chose not to report the incident to the police out of fear of retaliation.

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Still shaken, she was deeply grateful to her pet dog. “Star saved my life. I just kept thinking, 'I’m going to die,'” she shared with The Mirror. “It was actually really out of character for her, she’s the most loving little dog usually, she would lick anyone to death," she mentioned. "Without her, I wouldn't be here. She's the most loving dog you will meet. I have never seen her like that, but it just shows she was protecting me.” As for Star, her heroism didn’t go unnoticed at home. “She got an extra big dinner and lots of cuddles that night,” Edmondson said.