[nagdu] Blind teacher's guide dog attacked by rottweilers

Ginger Kutsch GingerKutsch at yahoo.com
Mon Oct 3 02:08:09 UTC 2011


Blind teacher's guide dog attacked by rottweilers

Oct 1, 2011 

Written by Leigh Paynter  

http://www.news10.net/news/local/article/157243/2/Blind-teachers-guide-dog-a
ttacked-by-rottweilers

 

SACRAMENTO, CA - A Gridley High School teacher's seeing-eye dog was attacked
by two Rottweilers while out on a walk Saturday morning. 

 

Frank Lopez, News10's 2005 Teacher of the Year, was walking with his guide
dog, Nolan, on El Camino, crossing Folsom Road when he heard a dog approach
from behind. 

 

"I could hear the nails from his paws running on the concrete and then I
heard Nolan whimper," said Lopez, who is legally blind and takes Nolan to
school with him. 

 

Lopez said he tried to get his body in between the Rottweiler and Nolan when
a second dog attacked. It wasn't until a bystander and the dogs' owner ran
out to intervene that the attack on Nolan stopped. 

 

"I could feel he was bleeding really badly," said Lopez, who was also
injured when he fell during the attack. 

 

Nolan was taken to the El Camino Animal Hospital, where doctors immediately
operated on his ears - a surgery that had an upfront cost of $1,400. In the
surgery room, the veterinarian said his injuries were not life threatening,
but it was unclear if Nolan could resume work immediately as a guide dog. 

 

"He didn't leave me. He didn't even try to run away during the attack," said
Lopez. "He just stayed by my side the whole time and didn't even think about
protecting himself." 

 

Nolan is a 3 year-old yellow lab from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San
Rafael. Lopez has had Nolan for two years. 

 

"I had to use my cane for the first time in two years," said Lopez. "I'm
really fortunate to have Nolan. I depend on him for a lot of things. I kinda
feel naked without him."

 

 




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