Man Fights Shark to Save Dog

A man has saved his pet dog from a shark attack by jumping into the water and punching the fish in the neck. Greg LeNoir and his rat terrier Jake were swimming at a Florida Keys marina when the attack happened. The 53-year-old carpenter said: "I saw a big, dark green shape, which I realised was a big shark's head. It zoomed up from under Jake. "Jake screamed - a death scream - and it sucked him under. I dove straight down like a battering ram, and I drove my fist under the water into the shark. "And it pushed him down - it felt like concrete on my hand." The shark's teeth punctured Jake's skin and some muscle on the dog's abdomen, chest and back. Jake also suffered lacerations on his right side and front left leg. The incident happened on Friday afternoon when Mr LeNoir took Jake to the Worldwide Sportsman's Bayside Marina pier in Islamorada, Florida for the dog's daily swim. Mr LeNoir said he was terrified when he saw the shark, but his only thought was saving Jake, who he described as a fast and fearless swimmer, often retrieving jellyfish and coconuts. "Jake is such a big part of mine and my wife's life - we don't have children," he said. "This is what she considers the closest thing to a child. And I couldn't abandon him." Mr LeNoir's brother, Phillip, told the Miami Herald: "Jake's doing great. And I still can't believe my brother jumped in the water and punched a shark."

Comments: WOW! It is great to read about someone who loves his dog so much he was willing to put his own life on the line!! But then there is this SAD NEWS from Australia:

Dog Burned to Death: A dog has died after being badly burned in Sydney's west yesterday, police said. The male terrier cross was found by a man walking his own dog along Orchardleigh Street at Old Guildford about 5.30pm, police said. Police said the man took the dog to the RSPCA at Yagoona but its injuries were so severe it was put down. Inspector Slade Macklin from the RSPCA said it appeared the dog had been set on fire deliberately. "Unless the dog was in a house fire or if someone turned around and said 'the dog jumped in an open fire', it's sort of unlikely that a dog would [do] something like that," Inspector Macklin said. But a police spokeswoman said Bankstown investigators were following a number of lines of inquiry and had not ruled out the possibility the dog's injuries were accidental. It is believed police last night made contact with the dog's owner, who lives in the Yagoona/Old Guildford area. Inspector Macklin said the dog, which was "only a couple of years old", was in shock when it was delivered to the RSPCA.

Dog Hanging From Tree: Yesterday a dead dog has been found hanging from a tree in Sydney's west, the RSPCA says. RSPCA NSW is appealing for witnesses to what it has labelled a shocking case of animal cruelty. The female cattle-dog cross was discovered this morning in RAAF Memorial Park, on the corner of Belmore Avenue and Woodstock Road in Mount Druitt.
The tan-coloured dog, thought to be no more than five years old, was probably hanging there for at least a few days, the RSPCA said. RSPCA NSW Inspector Matt Godwin said it was not clear if the animal was already dead before being strung up in the tree, but there were no other obvious injuries. "It is without a doubt, the worst case of cruelty and the most disturbing that I have ever seen," Inspector Godwin said. "We're appealing to anyone who has any information or who may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area over the weekend, to come forward. "The dogs' owners might still be looking for their pet." Anyone with information is urged to phone RSPCA NSW on (02) 9770 7555.