In the afternoon of July 28, 2017, a 10-year-old girl was out walking her dog in Heather Glen Court in Woodbridge, Va., when she was approached by a large man. He grabbed her arm and attempted to abduct her.
The dog fiercely defended the child and saved her from the attack. He bit the man and chased him, forcing the would-be abductor to run away.
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Due to her age, the girl — who was uninjured — has not been identified and neither has her dog. But the police have still hailed him as a hero for saving her. Child abductions by strangers are more rare than ever, comprising only 1% of the 20,500 children who went missing in the United States in 2016. Only a little over a hundred children are abducted by strangers in the U.S. each year. But these abductions are also scary and unpredictable, and can be deadly if the suspect isn't immediately caught with the child.
Certain breeds of dogs, especially herding breeds, are very protective of children. They perceive them as part of their family, their pack, and will attack someone who shows aggression toward the child. The 10-year-old girl's dog's response to her attacker is not surprising, but it's still heroic and shows how willing dogs are to defend their humans.
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In a press release on their Facebook page, the Prince William County Police Department described the assailant as a "Hispanic male, unknown age, 5'3", 145lbs with a thin build, short brown hair and a goatee. Last seen wearing a white striped shirt and light colored long pants." The suspect has also not been identified and remains at large.
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