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KENT, Ohio — A hero dog is getting some well-deserved credit for saving her best friend after a swarm of bees attacked on Sunday.
“I had an allergic reaction, because I didn’t know I was allergic to bees,” said Richie Bragg, 9.
Richie was in his yard when he spotted the bees and couldn’t escape. He was stung four times on his foot. It could have worse, but his 18-week-old dog “Pinky” managed to distract the bees, who diverted their attention to the Boxer. “They just got onto Pinky and a whole bunch of bees followed her,” said Richie.
Richie made it inside and Pinky also ran for the house, but the bees stayed with the dog. “She was yelping when she got to the door,” said Richie. He has a blood condition that affects how his blood clots and his parents say he faced a possible medical emergency if the bees weren’t distracted by the family pet.
Richie’s mom rushed Pinky to the Stow Kent Animal Hospital, where Dr. Jaime Marietti treated the pup who was stung more than 40 times. “You couldn’t see either of her eyes, she was swollen completely,” said Dr. Marietti. “Her ears were actually swollen and sticking straight out because they were so swollen.”
Dr. Marietti said they see an increase in bee sting cases during the summer, but Pinky’s case was potentially serious. “Boxers, especially, tend to be a little bit more allergic to bees, however she had an anaphylactic reaction,” said Dr. Marietti. “We were trying to get her through this, she never even looked at us, she never lifted her head up, she didn’t pay attention to anything.”
Pinky is doing better and so is Richie, who credits the dog with coming to his rescue. “Pinky, you really saved my life!”
