Hero Dog Saves His Hero - SuffolkJournal.com

Heroine Dog Saves Her Heroine

January 23, 2003 (click on photos)

Around midnight last Friday, January 17th, as she prepared to take her 7-year-old, mixed-breed dog Foxy for a walk, Mrs. Joan Maguire fell down the steps at her house and broke her hip. Mrs. Maguire waved her flashlight and called for help, but to no avail. For an hour and a half, Foxy remained faithfully by her side, cuddling close to warm her in the bone-chilling night air, and began to bark incessantly. A neighbor finally heard the barking, came to investigate, found Mrs. Maguire and called for help.

While Mrs. Maguire recuperates at Huntington Hospital, Foxy will be a guest at Little Shelter, a dog and cat adoption center on Warner Road in Huntington.

Nearly two years ago, Little Shelter had rescued Foxy from "death row" at a municipal animal shelter where she had been brought after being hit by a car and suffering a badly broken leg. The vet at Little Shelter performed three surgeries on Foxy to save her leg, and she remained at Little Shelter for 16 months until she was adopted by Mrs. Maguire last October.

County Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) visited the canine heroine at Little Shelter on Thursday, January 23rd, and presented Foxy with a bag of dog treats and a county proclamation in recognition of her heroic actions.

"They say that every dog has his -- or her -- day, and fortunately for Mrs. Maguire, Foxy had her day last Friday," Legislator Cooper said. "This is a story not only of 'Woman's Best Friend,' but also of alert and caring neighbors, and in a larger sense, of community. It's also a story with a 'what goes around comes around' aspect. After all, Little Shelter and Mrs. Maguire saved Foxy's life, and Foxy returned the favor."

Making Visitor's "Feel" Welcome

At H.B. Ward, Ms. Catenacci's Cosmetology II students, Michelle Maldonado of Westhampton Beach, Fawn Gettling of Southampton, and Saniequa Darden of Westhampton Beach give visitors from Greenport High School free hand and arm massages. Giving these messages is one of the many skills the students acquire while enrolled in this two-year course. After successfully completing the class and passing the state exam, the students are ready to pursue their career goals. (click on photo for larger view)