Courageous Dog Throws Himself In Front Of Bus To Help Blind Owner

Figo, a service dog, protected his blind mistress by throwing himself in front of a mini school bus, so that he could protect her. Afterwards, emergency responders tended to the injured pair, authorities said, according to yahoo.

Figo, the golden retriever, and his owner, Audrey Stone, were on the mend Tuesday, after they had an accident with the mini school bus in Brewster.

The Monday crash with the bus revealed fur that was stuck to the 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."

"He needs the Purple Heart from the president," Stone said with a laugh, according to usatoday.

The driver admitted that he could not identify the two crossing the road. He received a summons for not yielding to the pedestrians. Fortunately, the kindergartener passengers were uninjured.

Paul Schwartz, the manager of the gas station at the intersection, ran over to help. "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.

Taken separately in a fire vehicle to the hospital, both dog and mistress seemed to missing each other. 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 is 62, and has suffered a broken ankle, elbow and ribs as well as a head wound, and is still recovering from Danbury hospital in Connecticut, said the police chief.

Figo got a leg splint after an operation. Schwartz explained that Figo's leg was cut down to the bone, but he will continue at the veterinary hospital until Stone can take care of him.

While the probe into the accident is ongoing, the driver is off duty. Dashboard cameras in the minibus and another nearby bus took pictures of the incident, according to Steven Moskowitz, Brewster's assistant superintendent for human resources and technology.