Dog defends owner from rabid raccoon during Poconos hike

By The Associated Press February 8, 2019 at 10:05am

BUSHKILL, Pa. (AP) — Officials say a hiker in Pennsylvania’s Poconos Mountains was attacked by a rabid raccoon and defended by his dog, who pulled the varmint off.

A spokeswoman for the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Center says the raccoon “came out of nowhere” and lunged at the 60-year-old man’s legs. Kathleen Sandt tells LehighValleyLive.com it was muddy where the man was hiking and he fell and was bitten several more times by the raccoon.

She says the man’s black lab named Fasha jumped into action, pulling the animal off the owner and immobilizing it.

The dog, named after dog in the Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” wasn’t harmed in the Jan. 28 attack. The raccoon carcass tested positive for rabies. The man received treatment.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City