A railway station worker has been receiving praise for saving a young female dog from the jaws of death. The man did not think twice about rescuing the dog from the railway tracks, something most people would fear. Many people on social media were in awe and applauded his compassion and determination in the face of danger.
Who is this hero, and how did he save the young dog?
Paul Hawthorn, aged fifty-six, is a railway station worker in Luton, Southeast England. His video showing how he saved the young female dog got many views on TikTok. The rescued dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier breed, and the incident occurred at the Leagrave station on October 17th at around 7:00 am.
The video had 1.7 million views on TikTok. One TikTok user, getinthebarth, explained that the dog was running close to the railroad tracks, possibly looking for a way out while a train approached her. Luckily, Hawthorn grabbed her before any disaster could happen.
The young dog gave Hawthorn a lick to show appreciation for saving her life. The TikTok user captioned the video explaining how people abandon dogs at railway stations. On the flip side, there is a person with a good heart for another with a bad one.
More animal cruelty.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains that 6.3 million animals kept at home are taken to the U.S. sheltering program yearly. Out of the 6.3 million sheltered animals, dogs add up to 3.1 million, while cats make up the remaining 3.2 million. On a positive note, the number of animals taken to the shelters has significantly reduced from 7.2 million in 2011.
Hawthorn explains how he rescued the dog.
Newsweek received a detailed explanation of the incident from Hawthorn. He was informed that a dog was hovering on the platform meant for trains heading to London. He was in the booking hall when he received this information.
He hurried to that spot where he saw a woman who had caught the dog but had to let go as she had to board her train. The overwhelmed dog managed to get out of her grip.
Hawthorn was terrified when he saw the dog jumping from the woman’s hands and landing on the tracks. He was stuck on what to do, but luckily, he thought fast. He called the signalman to alert the trains on what was happening so they could stop in case of anything.
Since he could not access the tracks, he used a coffee kiosk salesperson on the platform to bring the dog closer. The salesperson used a croissant to move the dog closer to that platform’s edge. Hawthorn pulled the dog up to the platform as she was about to get the croissant.
He held the dog tightly to avoid the risk of falling to the tracks again. Two individuals came to assist Hawthorn in standing up.
He went with the dog to the staff mess room, where he realized the dog’s owner had a missing notice. The dog left through an open garage door and was not dumped as earlier insinuated.
Hawthorn was sympathetic to the dog because he thought a train could have killed her. Hawthorn and his colleagues help look after dogs at the station even though he does not have a dog. He was glad he saved the dog, who was now playing with his uniform.
Hawthorn receives praise for saving the dog.
One TikTok user thanked his heroic act. A second mentioned how the dog kissed him, thanked his heroism, and called out the bad things people do to animals. A third, still praising Hawthorn, was heartbroken because of what happened to the dog and asked people to return animals to the shelter instead of dumping them.
Newsweek also talked to Jenny Saunders, the customer service director of Thameslink, the company Hawthorn works with. She referred to Hawthorn as a hero whose fast thinking gave the dog another chance at life.
Conclusion
Hawthorn’s heroism shows us the courage that can emerge in critical times. In a world where people focus on negativity, this rescue story is a testament to goodness found in unexpected situations. Paul Hawthorn’s bravery will inspire others to act selflessly when those around them are in need.
@getinthebarth People dump dogs at stations like this all the time 💔 for every evil person there is a kind hearted one #hero #doglove #rescue ♬ Arcade – Duncan Laurence