The pit bull cross which "saved" a boy whose mother allegedly tried to drown him in the Murray River has been spared. NSW Police has advised the Murray River Council that the animal was responding to "extreme circumstances" and likely acting in a "reasonable defence" of the boy who remains in hospital in Melbourne. Earlier, a petition had been started to protect the dog, named Buddy, following the drowning tragedy that left the nine-year-old in hospital and his brother, 5, dead. The nine-year-old managed to struggle free and ran up the riverbank, but according to police was "savagely mauled" by a dog as he tried to escape. The dog also attacked the mother as she tried to drown her youngest son, an investigating detective claimed in court.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 06, 2017 04:46 UTC