41 year old First Bus Driver from Huddersfield, Richard Moon, was crowned a hero today after he came to the rescue of a guide dog and its owner on board a bus.
Richard, who has been a driver for bus operator First, since 2002, was driving service 306 in Huddersfield and had stopped on Newsome Road to let customers alight at around 7.25pm on 20 September. As the last customer departed he became aware of a commotion on board his bus.
“It all happened very quickly,” said Richard. “When I heard the commotion I immediately leapt out of my cab and saw a Staffordshire bull terrier attacking a guide dog. "I have three dogs of my own, so it was fairly obvious to me that the dog was intent on seriously injuring the guide dog. I was also fearful that the guide dog owner or some of my other customers would get injured in the fracas.
“So I immediately jumped in and managed to pull the aggressive dog away. The dog and its owners left the bus and I tended to the guide dog and its owner. Both seemed shaken by the incident and it looked like the guide dog had suffered some injuries, but they didn’t look too serious. However, it could have been much worse.”
The owner of the guide dog, David Quarmby, 65, from Huddersfield, visited First’s Depot in the town today (Monday 10 February) to thank Richard in person for coming to the rescue of Mick, his 5 year old black lab/retriever cross guide dog.
He said: “If it wasn’t for Richard’s quick intervention Mick could have been seriously injured. Fortunately this time he wasn’t hurt. I’ve always been impressed by First’s bus drivers, they always make sure I’m well looked after. However, I would never have expected a driver to put himself in danger, as Richard did. His actions were heroic.”
First has recognised Richard’s bravery and awarded him with a special commendation, which is designed to reward those colleagues that go above and beyond the call of duty.
Oliver Howarth, Area Service Delivery Manager for First in Huddersfield, paid tribute to Richard. “Our drivers across the network do a tremendous job for us and stories of them going that extra mile to help our customers, I’m pleased to say, are very frequent. However, in all my years in the bus industry I have never encountered an attack on a guide dog before. Richard’s instincts are to be applauded and I’m extremely proud to award him a commendation.”
Ben Drury, Mobility Team Manager for Guide Dogs in Leeds said: “An attack on a guide dog is devastating and can rob someone like David of their means of getting around. We’re extremely grateful in this case that Richard stepped in. His bravery unquestionably helped to prevent serious injuries to Mick. But we can’t expect or rely on members of the public to put themselves in harm’s way. Dog owners must be responsible for their dogs and keep them under control. This is especially true around guide and assistance dogs, who are carrying out life-changing work on behalf of their owners. Our latest report showed that 10 guide dogs are being attacked by other dogs every month. A guide dog costs £50,000 to support from birth to retirement and Guide Dogs receive no government funding.”
Last year, First became the first company in the bus industry to provide its drivers with specific training designed to help people who are blind or partially sighted to confidently use the bus. CCTV footage of the incident is now shown to drivers as part of their training.