[Nfbf-l] Guide Dog has thrown himself in front of a school bus to try to protect his owner

[Alan Dicey]

Dear Friends,
This was sent to me by a friend in New Zealand.
Incredible how much Guide Dogs are appreciated, all around the world!

Figo being rescued by emergency workers after the accident.
A guide dog in the US has thrown himself in front of a school bus to try to 
protect his blind owner, staying by her side until emergency crews reached 
the injured pair.
Both Figo, the golden retriever, and his owner, Audrey Stone, were on the 
mend, a day after the crash in Brewster, Massachusetts.
Police photos of Monday's (Tuesday NZT) crash showed fur stuck to the bus' 
front wheel, according to the Journal News.
The dog took a lot of the blow," Brewster Police Chief John Del Gardo said. 
"And he did not want to leave her side. He stood right with her. He was 
there to save her."
The driver said he didn't see the pair crossing the road. He was given a 
summons for failing to yield to a pedestrian. The two kindergarteners on the 
bus weren't injured.
Paul Schwartz, who manages a gas station at the intersection, ran over to 
help.
Both Audrey Stone and her trusty pup Figo survived the incident.
The dog didn't want to leave her side," Schwartz said. "He was flopping over 
to her, and she didn't want him to get away from her, either. She kept 
screaming" Figo's name, said Schwartz. "We kept telling her he was fine."
"He let us wrap up his leg without any problem. He wasn't barking or crying 
or yelping. But he kept pulling toward her," Schwartz said.
The dog wasn't allowed in the ambulance; he was taken to the veterinarian in 
a fire vehicle. Figo and Stone were both visibly upset by the separation, 
Schwartz said.
Stone, 62, suffered a broken ankle, elbow and ribs and a head wound and was 
still hospitalised in Danbury, Connecticut, the police chief said.
Figo underwent surgery and has a leg splint. Schwartz said Figo's leg was 
cut down to the bone. He'll remain at a veterinary hospital until Stone is 
able to care for him.
The driver was taken off duty while an investigation is conducted. The 
review will include dashboard cameras in the minibus and another bus that 
was in the area at the time, according to Steven Moskowitz, Brewster's 
assistant superintendent for human resources and technology.

 With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida