When a young girl suddenly entered the examination room as the veterinarian was ready to put a service dog down for attacking a police officer, an unexpected event occurred
Dr. Ben was still standing beside the metal table, staring at the big reddish dog, even though the clinic should have been closed by now. The evening seemed to go on forever, and it was raining heavily outside. Titan was the name of the dog. He had been a service dog up until recently; he was clever, strong, and had an outstanding record, but that day he had been brought in as a threat.
Mark, a man in uniform, was standing next to him. He had a cold expression on his face and his arm was bandaged. He clutched the leash uneasily and continued to say the same thing: Titan had abruptly and without cause attacked him while he was on duty.
The decision had been made, the papers had been signed, and the dog had been brought in because it was decided that he was too unpredictable and dangerous to be left alive.
Despite a heavy feeling inside of him, Ben listened to all of this in silence. Titan did not resemble the creatures brought in after actual attacks, though he had seen enough of angry animals.
The dog laid peacefully, not resisting or growling, yet his whole body was tight.
Mark urged him to go quickly, claiming that there was no time to hesitate, that the dog had already demonstrated his threat, and that he might attack a child tomorrow after attacking a man today. Ben nodded because he had to abide by the rules, but just then, the examination room door gently opened.
A seven-year-old girl entered. Her hair was unkempt, she was wearing a yellow sweater, and she was drenched from the rain. It was the policeman’s daughter, Lily.
“Remain in the car, I told you!” Mark yelled.
However, the girl ignored it. All she could see was the dog and the table.
Ben did not anticipate what happened when Titan saw her. With a gentle, plaintive moan, the dog flinched and, with all of his last strength, turned to cover the girl with his body.
He didn’t try to bite, he didn’t lunge, and he didn’t act in any way hostile. He just stretched out and pressed against her, as though he was attempting to protect her from everything.
Running to him, Lily put her face against his head and put her arms around his neck. As she sobbed, she kept saying that Titan was good, that he was protecting her, and that he didn’t want to hurt anyone.
Ben held up his hand and stopped Mark as he attempted to yank the girl away, claiming that the dog was dangerous and that this was just how he fooled everyone by appearing composed.
At that precise moment, Ben saw something behind the thick fur that he had never seen before and stopped the process right once
A cloth strap that was obviously a child’s was fastened underneath the collar, and there were indications of past injuries that were skillfully concealed behind the fur. Titan was holding the girl the way one holds someone they are willing to be accountable for till the very end, not merely staring at her. This child was loved by the dog.
Ben firmly declared that the surgery was being stopped as he slowly straightened up. He went on to say that dangerous behavior does not always equate to guilt and that the dog in front of him was not an aggressive dog but rather one that made the last-minute decision to defend rather than attack.
It became evident that Titan had not launched the initial attack once the security camera film was examined and the events were recreated. When Mark grabbed Lily violently and spoke loudly that day, the dog responded as he had been trained for years: he put himself between the child and the danger.
The arm was struck, however it was a defensive rather than an offensive blow.
The euthanasia decision was reversed. Titan was still alive.
