Dog saves life of owner twice
‘Gentle giant’ always protects Suzie
WARWICK woman Suzie Heise saved two lives when she adopted Harley the bull arab cross from Southern Downs Ark - Both Harley’s and her own.
Mrs Heise was only looking for a furry companion but soon realised there was something very special about her sweet, gentle giant.
“My husband and I went to the park to meet him and as soon as I saw him I knew he was the one for me,” she said.
It was a tumultuous couple of weeks after Harley was first adopted, as the puppy needed to be carried around and howled in protest when left alone.
But Mrs Heise decided to stay by Harley’s side and that choice created a deep bond between the two.
The “sooky” dog first earned his keep three months in, when the two were walking near Coombes Bridge at Queens Park.
“He kept pushing me and I couldn’t understand why,” Mrs Heise said.
“Then the next thing I knew, he had shoved me to the ground and I fell on my knee which was quite a problem because I have something similar to rheumatoid arthritis.
“But as I was getting up I saw a brown snake slither out in front of me and I realised that he’d purposely pushed me out of the way.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Harley saved his owner from danger.
A couple of weeks ago, as the two went on their regular walk around the neighbourhood, Mrs Heise noticed another dog stalking them.
“It was a really big dog, much bigger than Harley, and it followed us just not letting up,” she said.
“The dog started lunging at me and at Harley, I think he was trying to pick a fight.”
But Harley positioned himself as a barrier between his owner and the strange dog.
“He didn’t utter a sound, he just kept pushing the other dog away,” she said.
“Without him I have no doubt we would have been attacked.”