The San Francisco call., 1896-11-13
A TERRIERS DEVOTION.
Lost His Own Life In Brave Effort
Save His Masters.


Save His Masters.
To the sagacity of fox-terrier dog Mr.
and Mrs. Dan C. Donovan, living at 2521
North Grand avenue, owe the life of their
little son, Dan, aged years. In rescuing
the child from q hideous death the saga
cious brute sustained injuries from which
it died after suffering the most intense
agony for more than two hours.
An effort was made to save the life of
the animal by amputatlng one OF its legs,
but the poor little brute expired on the
operating table under the surgeons knife
Mr.. and Mrs. Donovan and severa of their
friends witnessed the operation. and when
they were told that fheir heroic little pet
could not survive the operation there was
not q dry eye in the party.
The tragedy occurred in this way: The
child was playing in the yard with the
dog yesterday afternoon when he discov-
cred that the gate leading back to the
barn had been left open. He ran out onto
the sidewalk and was making for the
crowded street as fast as his chubby legs
could carry him, when the dog noticed
his peril and ran to the rescue. The
noble animal began 10 bark vociferously
and to jump upon the baby in an effort to
knock him down.
All unconscious OF his danger the little
fellow manfully held his legs and started
to climb down off the rbing into the
gutter. The dog took up his position in
the street and kept on barking and trying
to prevent the boy from going any further.
At this juncture heavy wagon drawn by
two spirited horses came dashing by. One
of the wheels passed over the dogs hind
leg. mashing it into shapeless mass and
rolling the brute for some distance.
The canine yelled piteously and so
frightened the baby that he sat down on
the curbstone and opened his eyes in
wonderment. Taen he became frightened
and began to cry. The dogs how,s at
tracted the attention of Mrs. Donovan and
several of the neighbors, who ran out and
picked the baby up just as he was in the
act OF scampering off down the street.
Had the child's mother been a moment
later he would in all proba bility have been
run down and killed or frighttullv
MANNED, as the street at that point is
always crowded with vehicles of every
des cription. Two lines of eIectric-cars
pass the Donovan residence, and had the
little fellow succeeded in getting past the
wagons his life would certainly have been
crushed out under these modern iugger-
nauts.
Some one picked up the dog and carried
1t into the house. MIR. Donovan was teIe-
phoned for and arrived on the scene
shortly after. He sent for a veterinary
oRt tHSOh Al tAAO hORC thhb VIC oOE 1iiC
might be spared by amputating the in
jured leg. DR.. Farrell chloroformed the
terrier and took off the macerated mem
Der. but it was found that the cruel wheel
had crushed its vitals and that it coulo
not possibly recover.
The sorrowing little group that gath
cred about the operating table presented
a dramatic picture not without its pa
thetic side. The dog had been a great pet
in the family and was the constant play
mate and companion of his toddling little
master. 1t was SO frightfuliy crushed and
mangled that every time it moved it suf-
fered SO intensely that it whined and cried
| in the most pitiful manner. Its suffering
was eased by the chloroform, but before
the operation was finished the brute re-
covered from the effects of the opiate and
again began to howl with pain.
As though it realized that il was going
to die, it raised its head and crawIed to
the edge OF the table to lick the hand of
the baby whose life it had saved. The
effort proved too much for the animal and
with gasp that seemed almost human it
fell over dead.
There will be funeral at the Donovan
residence to-day. Little Dan will bury
his pet with all the ceremony his baby in
stincts have taught him. Older hand s
will dig the grave, but the grief-stricken
toddler will cover the body with earth.
and he will not be the only mourner who
will stand about the mound.-St. Louis
Republic.