Most of us have worries about potential dangers when out walking our dogs. While a necessary part of a dog’s life, walks can hold dangers. Dogs can pick up a fatal snack in the blink of an eye – on busy routes, they may access poisons like rodenticide or even something as innocuous as a rock that just looks tempting to your canine friend. In more rural areas, you run the risk of a negative encounter with wildlife.
But there are certain dangers that one just cannot plan for. One fifteen-year-old girl and her Chihuahua, Bebe, were the victims of an unprovoked attack while out on an everyday walk.
An Almost Fatal Encounter for the Chihuahua
Allegedly, Jeanette Olivo, a 61-year-old Chicago resident, approached the teen girl out on her routine walk with no clear ill intent. She struck up a conversation while the girl was walking her senior Chihuahua. Then, things took an unexpected turn for the worse when Olivo pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed the girl’s Chihuahua.
According to reports, the girl managed to fight her off; Olivo ran a block away, but was restrained by the girl’s father until police arrived on the scene.
Thankfully, the girl came to no physical harm. Bebe did suffer multiple stab wounds, but miraculously, all vital organs were missed. Bebe is expected to make a full recovery. Of course, this event is still traumatic, and there’s no clear explanation for the woman’s violent behavior.
Protecting Your Dog in Case of Emergency
Of course, tragic life events happen, and there’s little you can do to prevent them. The teenage girl out walking Bebe did nothing wrong – she was just a victim of an unpredictable assault. But in case you ever do experience a medical emergency with your pet – more likely to be along the lines of eating the wrong thing or stepping on a sharp rock, not a violent attack – it’s good to be prepared.
Keep your local vet along with your emergency vet’s phone numbers in your phone. Most areas have a 24-hour vet for medical emergencies – make sure you already have this number in case of an accident. It may be helpful to also keep other emergency numbers, such as an animal poison control hotline, on hand.
