A Greenville woman who attacked by a dog, while trying to protect her own pets, said a stranger saved her from the harrowing situation. Now, she wants to find and thank him for his kindness.
Fran Rizzo has fostered so many animals. She’s the last person you’d think would be involved in a dog attack.
”I like to think of myself as pretty tough. This has knocked me to the core,” Rizzo said.
When she was walking her NewFoundland, Nico, and her pit mix, Luca, down Mills Avenue Tuesday evening, she said an unneutered large male pit bull went after her dogs and then her.
”It’s hard for me to talk about it without tearing up still, and it’s not because of what happened. It’s because of what could have happened,” Rizzo said.
Rizzo escaped with only a few bite wounds to her feet because of a good Samaritan who came to the rescue.
Rizzo said a stranger in a white or off white colored sedan, pulled up, hopped out and immediately grabbed the dog by the scruff because it didn’t have a collar.
“He might not have been tall, but to me, he was my hero. So he was a tall, black man, young, mid to late 20s,” said Rizzo.
She said the well dressed man never panicked, even as she screamed and eventually ran into traffic to ask a driver in a pickup to get her and her dogs to safety.
”When the tailgate closed, I said, ‘Oh my God, I don’t even know you’re name.’ And I believe he said ‘Tay’ and I said, ‘I can’t thank you enough.’ And then we left,” she said.
Back at home, her neighbors took it upon themselves to track down the dog until animal control took it to Greenville County Animal Care, where it will be quarantined for 10 days.
After a trip to the hospital for a rabies shot, life is back to normal. Rizzo said she couldn’t be more grateful.
“I’m very lucky. Very lucky for everything, and I just want to thank ‘Tay.’ I hope that’s your name!,” she said, laughing.
If you think you may know the good Samaritan, contact dlee@wspa.com.
