A police officer’s dog saves neighbor’s life from dog attack

By Gabriela Vidal

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    FERGUSON, Missouri (KMOV) — A Ferguson woman is grateful to be alive, and the credit to her survival goes to a local police officer and his loyal dog.

”I’m trying to stay strong but it’s so hard,” said Katherine Rose.

On Wednesday afternoon, she was outside her home when a neighbor’s dog got out of the house and attacked her.

“My finger’s ate up so bad that its deep down, close to the bone, to where I have to go to a surgeon,” she said.

She was screaming for her life and the dog hung onto her arm.

“I mean the worst scream I ever heard. It was a blood curdling scream,” said Drew Canaday.

That scream woke up neighbor and off-duty Ferguson officer Drew Canaday from his sleep. He and his four-legged dog Ozzie sprung into action.

“I grab my robe, because I was in my underwear, and I go running out the door,” said Canaday. “Her son Reggie had a broom and he’s trying to hit the dog with the broom to get him off. [I] didn’t feel safe discharging my weapon with her arm in this dog’s mouth and her son right there.”

That is when Ozzie, his Czechoslovakian shepherd dog, took over.

“[I] opened the door, said, ‘Ozzie get him’, and he knew exactly what to do. He went straight for that dog and he hit that dog full force, getting that dog to release her arm,” said Canaday.

Ozzie kept fighting the other neighbor’s dog for over 20 minutes before that dog’s owners came out to try and restrain him.

“When Poncho first let go of Ozzie, he turned around and grabbed his own owner, bit his own owner in the calf,” said Canaday. “This dog is super aggressive, and why the door was left open for him to get out I don’t know.”

One of the owners of the dog who started the attack spoke to News 4 outside their home today. He declined to speak on camera but did want to say their family is grateful Canaday and Ozzie stepped in to help Rose.

They have since put their dog down after the attack and because of the injuries he sustained during his fight with Ozzie.

“I’m alive,” said Rose. “Thank god for Drew the police officer that stayed next to me, and his dog. His dog saved my life.”

Ozzie also sustained serious puncture wounds following the fight, but the good boy is recovering well and remains in good spirits.

“I’m a very proud poppa,” said Canaday.

Canaday says Ozzie is not a K9 dog, but he has been trained to defend his home and respond to commands.

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