According to a survey, 81% of women and 43% of men have suffered from some form of harassment in their lifetime. With such high figures, it’s getting harder and harder to deny that this is a very common problem, especially for women. Thankfully, there are thousands of organizations and movements working to raise awareness and ultimately end this problem. And they’re not alone in this. There’s also a different type of hero who has put their paws at the service of those who are in danger. We’re talking about our 4-legged friends, those who are most often known as “man’s best friend,” dogs. Canine instincts may play an important role in fighting street harassment, and the story you’re about to read is proof of this.
Bright Side knows that animals are true heroes. That’s why we wanted to share the story of a Reddit user who, if it hadn’t been for her faithful dog, could have faced an even more dangerous situation. And at the end of the article, you’ll find a bonus feature with other similar stories and a picture of the hero of this story.
I live in a city with my 9-month-old golden retriever puppy. He’s the sweetest boy and loves every dog and person he sees on the street and in the park.
I was walking back from the dog park with my happy puppy and an older man on a bike yelled across the street that he was cute, so I laughed and said, “Thank you.” The man then took this as an invitation to bicycle over to me and stopped right next to me.
He began to ask me questions and the encounter went from pleasant to irritating. “How old are you? Are you in school? What’s your puppy’s name?” he asked.
I told him my boyfriend was in med school and waiting for me (he’s actually out of the country, so this wasn’t true), and to have a nice day, yet he proceeded to go “Mannnnnnn, everyone has a boyfriend...” and bicycled next to me down the path back to my apartment, even though I was clearly walking away from him and he had been going the other way.
My pup then turns to him and starts snarling and barking, which was an absolute first for him. His hackles were raised, and he started jumping toward the man on his bike a bit. The creep got all nervous, saying stuff like, “Woah, woah, woah, why are you acting like this, puppy?” and finally stopped cycling and let me walk back alone. Of course, he still yelled and insulted me while biking across the parking lot.
I had no problem telling this guy to get lost, but I’m just happy to know that my puppy has my back just in case.
Do you have a pet? Have they ever done something for you that you’re very grateful for? Let us know about your experience in the comment section.
My mom and I were at my grandpas house and he had a friend over who had the sweetest little dog. I'd been petting the dog and playing with him for like 20 minutes when my moms mom and step dad (both estranged because the step dad was a pervert) pulled up and started coming in the yard, that happy little dog lost his mind and wouldn't let my moms step dad anywhere near us. It was my first lesson in just how intuitive dogs are.
