Dante Captures the
Hearts of
Torontoans - A Friendly Canine Averts Canadian Gun Massacre
[Toronto] "On June 23, 2004, a forty-three-year-old unemployed mentally disturbed New Brunswick man carried 6,296 rounds of ammunition, two rifles, a shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and an air rifle in his car, along with a machete, a hunting knife, a throwing knife, a camouflage mask and netting, while planning to carry out a shooting spree to ensure he would be put in jail permanently," Toronto police said.
When the man had set himself up in a park near Victoria Park Avenue and Queen Street, Toronto, and was about to get started on his disturbing task, "A passerby was walking several dogs. One of the dogs came up and started playing with him," explained Detective Nick Ashley. "[The gunman] happened to be a pet lover and decided that if there was such a nice dog in the area, the people were too nice and he wasn't going to carry out his plan. He then proceeded to drive around and search out a uniformed officer to surrender himself."
After sifting through two hundred reports from people who claimed they owned the hero dog, on July 29 the police finally identified the wonder pooch who saved the city as Dante - a husky-Australian shepherd mutt.
"He's extremely empathetic," said Kristina Kyser, the canine's owner. "If one of my children cries he gets upset and so it doesn't surprise me he would sense first of all a dog lover, but a dog lover that's upset."
Michael O'Sullivan, executive director of the Humane Society of Canada said Dante will receive an award in early August.
For more details please visit:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/
LAC/20040624/TSHOOTER24/National/Idx
http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20040729-018/page.asp
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/
CTVNews/1088080916471_69/?hub=Canada
http://nb.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nb_stansonfit20040730
 Dante
Captures the Hearts of Torontoans — A Friendly Canine Averts Canadian Gun Massacre |
