Breanna McRae at home in Hastings yesterday with family labrador Jessie. Photo / Duncan Brown
Breanna McRae at home in Hastings yesterday with family labrador Jessie. Photo / Duncan Brown
An unidentified postie has won the hearts of a Hastings mum and her family after stepping-in to protect three children from a barking and bounding dog.
The incident happened on Wednesday when 12-year-old Breanna McRae was taking visiting younger cousins Paku and Kahu Whitehead to a dairy in Grove Road,Mayfair, the day after a funeral for the children's grandfather.
Grateful mum Jude McRae text-messaged Hawke's Bay Today thanking the postie who "shielded" her daughter and the cousins from Wellington, aged 10 and almost 3 respectively, and who feared an attack from the roaming dog, described by others in the area as a "pit bull kind of looking dog."
"Your kindness was much appreciated," Mrs McRae said in her message, unable to locate the female postie but reckoning it was a case for due public recognition.
She said the incident started when the children were walking the family black labrador, Jessie, when the wandering and unaccompanied second dog arrived and began barking and leaping at them.
Breanna took Jessie to her nearby home as the stray appeared to run-off, but returned to find the dog bounding and barking around her frightened cousins.
It was then the postie intervened, using the boys' scooter to ward off the dog and help the children get away. A dog ranger arrived soon afterwards, captured the stray, and took it away.
But it was not over for the postie who also went to the children's home "to check the kids," Mrs McRae said. "She was such a nice lady."
