In Brighton, in the south of England, a father, his 5-year-old son and Mars, their 6-month-old puppy, went to buy a chewing gum ice cream in a cafe, saw a man brandishing a large knife approaching them. To shelter the child, the father had to let go of the young dog, whose barking attracted the attention of the attacker for a few seconds.
This end of the day outing, in a seaside resort located south of Londontipped over when leaving the café. The father recounted the scene to The Argus : what at first seemed like a curious situation changed into a threat in a few moments.
“He was brandishing a knife”
“ A man held the taxi window open and ran with the car, which was unusual “, described the puppy’s owner. The vehicle then gained speed in the street, forcing the individual to let go; in the eyes of the father, he then seemed to be looking for someone else to target. “ He was brandishing a knife, which was very large, approaching us shouting something “, he continued.
With a dog on the leash, the father had no way of protecting his son; so he released March and ran to a nearby restaurant, the child with him. Meanwhile, the puppy's barking caught the gunman's attention, giving the dad enough time, just a few seconds, to get the little one to safety.
A trembling puppy with bloody fur
Once his boy was safe, the father returned to get the puppy, worried about him.
“ When I returned, Mars was shaking and was surrounded by 12 people; his fur was covered in blood. The suspect was on the ground “, he remembers.
Faced with all this blood, his loved ones and the witnesses gathered around him were convinced that March had been affected and that he had to be taken to a veterinarian immediately. The young dog, however, did not have any injuries.
Relieved, his master immediately saw in him “ the hero of the day “. Back home, the young dog was treated to many treats, including a large beef bone, one of his favorite treats.
As for the police, Sussex Police reported 2 injuries: the first, aged 29, was hit in the ear and face; the second, 28 years old, was hit in the face through the taxi window. The suspect has been taken into custody while the investigation continues.