Barking Dog May Have Saved Assault Victim From More Harm

The victim of a sexual assault in Saugus, Massachusetts, is calling her dog a hero, after her dog scared off the assailant.

The victim of a sexual assault in Saugus, Massachusetts, is calling her dog a hero, after her dog scared off the assailant.

The victim, whose name is Lisa, says Rosie actually stopped this attack from getting worse by barking, and causing other neighborhood dogs to bark. Lisa says at that point the suspect got spooked and took off.

Police say the victim was out running with her dog along Nason Road in Saugus just after midnight when she said she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

A man grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into a tree. The suspect told the victim he had a knife and told her not to scream. The victim says the suspect then grabbed her chest and other private parts and then he hit her in the face. And that's when her dog began to bark.

As the suspect was running away, the victim tried to take note of what he was wearing. She says he had on a long-sleeved red shirt, dark pants, possibly jeans, and clean white sneakers. The suspect is tall, thin, and the victim says he had some sort of cologne on.

Anyone with information or who may have been in the area at the time of the assault is asked to call Saugus Police at 781-941-1199.

Contact Us