A woman from Ferguson has a long road to recovery but is grateful to be alive following an attack from a neighbor’s dog. She has an off-duty police officer and his dog to thank for her survival.

The incident took place recently in Ferguson, Missouri. Katherine Rose was outside her home when a neighbor’s dog got out of his owner’s house and attacked her.

Katherine Rose suffers injuries after a dog attack.

”I’m trying to stay strong but it’s so hard,” Rose told KMOV4 after the attack.

The dog, named Poncho, clung onto Rose’s arm and tore away at her fingers and hands. She would later tell the media that her injuries would require surgery. What happened could have been much worse, however, had a neighbor and his dog not been alerted to the situation.

Rose screamed loudly during the attack and this drew the attention of her neighbor and off-duty police officer, Drew Canaday. He immediately sprung into action upon hearing the noise.

“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.”

Czechoslovakian shepherd Ozzie bravely comes to the rescue.

Canaday has a pet Czechoslovakian shepherd dog named Ozzie. He’s not a K-9 Officer but has been trained to defend people and property. When Canaday let Ozzie out of the house, the brave dog didn’t hesitate to come to Rose’s rescue.

“[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 and Poncho fought for over 20 minutes. Finally, Poncho’s owners came out of the house and attempted to restrain him. Poncho had a hold of Ozzie when he let go of him and then attacked his own owner.

“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.”

Poncho is put down.

Poncho was later put down by his owners due to injuries he sustained in his fight with Ozzie. His owner would say that he was grateful that Ozzie and Canaday were able to help Rose escape the attack.

Ozzie sustains injuries but is recovering.

Ozzie sustained puncture wounds from his fight with Poncho. He is said to be recovering well, however, and in good spirits. Ozzie is a true hero who risked his own safety to protect someone else from harm.

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

As for Rose, despite her injuries, she is grateful to be alive and thankful that Ozzie and Canaday came to save her.

“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.”

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Source: KMOV4/Fox19