Suspicious man tried to kidnap a 10-year-old girl playing on the street — but her dog’s unthinkable move made him flee the scene
A dog’s loyalty to its owner is unlike anything else in the world. A recent incident left families living in Philadelphia with a medley of emotions after a dog interrupted the potential kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl playing in the park. While parents are fearing for their children in the neighborhood, the spotlight is on the brave pup who saved the life of its young owner and sent the kidnapper running for his life.
In February, a girl had a close call with a potential abduction if not for her loyal pet dog. The victim was playing in the park when a strange man wearing a mask approached her in the 2900 block of North Harrison Street at 6:30 p.m. His attempt to kidnap her was hindered by her pet dog, which bit him hard enough to send him fleeing. Fortunately, the victim suffered no injuries and was safe. The hero dog, whose name and breed were not mentioned, had successfully saved the day. While there were no grim consequences, the news of the kidnap attempt has left the neighborhood shaken.
"Kids come out here to play. A lot of kids walk and stuff around here. It's nothing like that. It’s a crime, but not trying to kidnap a kid. That's crazy," Regina Johnson, a park visitor, later told Fox 29. Genevieve Congo, a mother, was cautious about such happenings and admitted that she never lets her kids come to the park by themselves. She said, "That's just the type of parent that I am. I watch my kids all the time.” The police are still looking for the suspect and have urged anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Run Mullin. He was last spotted running down North Van Buren Street after the incident.
According to the Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center, about 840,000 children are reported missing each year. To put that into perspective, it is equivalent to a child going missing every 40 seconds in the United States. Unfortunate encounters, such as this, make us grateful for dogs and their loyalty to their owners. PetMD reported that dogs may sense a negative person when their actions cause stress or anxiety in a person, emotion, or mood. Dogs live in an olfactory world, and any slight change in emotions is a chemosignal that they can detect.
Quite similarly, dogs can also sense fear. And no pup would sit quietly while their beloved humans feel fear or other negative emotions. They may perceive fear through smell, body language, and facial expressions, triggering fear-based reactions like fight or flight. There are several examples of pet dogs saving their owner's lives, particularly if the owner is a little one. Earlier this year, a ranch dog named Buford saved the life of a 2-year-old boy who had walked seven miles away from home all alone in a forest in Arizona. Buford never left his side and ensured the boy was protected at all costs.