A. J. Skiptunas, III

A. J. Skiptunas III rescued Mary E. Caldwell from an attacking dog, Windsor, Pennsylvania, October 6, 2007. Caldwell, 63, was campaigning in a neighborhood when an adult male dog of pit bull mix charged her, biting her severely on the leg and taking her to the pavement. Screaming, she attracted the attention of a friend, Skiptunas, 49, radiologist, who was nearby. Skiptunas immediately ran toward Caldwell as the dog was circling her. He called to the dog, which then turned to him and lunged. It bit him on the chest and then again, hard, on his right hand, locking its hold. Using his left hand, Skiptunas grasped the dog’s collar and twisted it to choke the dog off him. Maintaining his hold, Skiptunas wrestled the dog to the pavement and pinned its head with his knee. Others arrived to secure the dog and tend to Caldwell. Both she and Skiptunas required hospital treatment for their bite wounds, and both required subsequent hospitalization, Skiptunas for two days. He was left with weakness in his right hand.