Port Charlotte Pit Bull Rescues Woman and Child from Attacker

A pit bull mix nicknamed Angel saved a woman and her toddler from a man with a knife earlier this month. Now, the woman wants to adopt him.

Pit bulls tend to get a bad rap: Many jurisdictions have even enacted breed-specific legislation to prevent pit bull ownership, due to a belief that the breed is prone to aggression. But problems with pit bulls generally stem from their owners (paging Michael Vick), and there are plenty of positive examples of the breed. Now, we have a new one in Angel, a pit bull mix found in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Recently, a woman named Angela (she refused to give her last name) was leaving a playground with her toddler son when a man accosted her with a knife. He told her not to make any sudden moves, and was likely to rob her, if not worse—but suddenly, a savior stepped in on four paws. A stray pit bull took note of the dangerous situation and rushed in to protect Angela and her young son.

“I don’t think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,” Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.

“I don’t know what this man’s intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life.”

The attacker fled the scene, so Angela continued to her car. When she put her toddler in his carseat, she was surprised to see the dog hop in, too. He wanted to come home with them, it seemed.

The dog had no tags, but authorities believed him to be simply lost, not a stray, because of his healthy weight. To be on the safe side, Angela took him to a shelter in case the heroic dog’s rightful owners wanted to claim him—but if they don’t step forward, he’s coming home with her.

She’s already named him Angel. To her and her son, that’s exactly what he is.